Minotaur's Tale
by Violet Hyena
Summary: Sam is a minotaur taken from his herd at a young age. He grows up imprisoned for 10 years before he finally breaks free. Gabriel is the local satyr of Crete, the island where Sam finds himself. Gabriel shows Sam how to live in the forest and they grow close, comforted by each others' similarities. A party with a god only furthers the seal of their bond.
1. Not One Of Us

Special note: My sister put this idea on my head when she thought about Gabriel being a good satyr. I agreed and thought Sam would make a wonderful minotaur. Given the history of the Minotaur, I don't blame her for disagreeing. But I had a slight difference in mind that had to be told in story. And since the Sabriel Mini-Bang came up, I decided to write the chunk I had in my head for Sam and Gabriel. There IS a Dean side to the story, but it is very long and I decided not to write it. It would have been very, very long. It's a 'mini' bang for a reason. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I had fun writing it. :)

I did kind of run away with one of my sister's ideas, so I have to give credit to her for being my muse. She was also my beta.

And then there was my lovely artist for the mini-bang who I really enjoyed chatting with cause they're cool like that. :D Thank you Vocal Corble! You're Awesome!

* * *

In Ancient Greece, humans thought they were superior in intellect and technology, only inferior to the gods that ruled the land. Humans knew of beings that were sentient and imbued with magic that were on earth with them. These majestic creatures were weaved into their myths and stories. Their epic tales were passed down through history.

Humans favored the creatures, not as things to be respected, but as prizes and entertainment. They were just animals, like any other. Among their favored species were the centaurs, the pegasuses, and the griffons. It was often a fantasy of any noble or royal lineage to have one of these powerful beasts; as a pet or a fighter. But centaurs were special because humans were vain and found some of their physical likeness to the centaurs.

Centaurs, the beings that possessed the body of a strong steed but in place of a head was the upper body of a man or woman. It provided them the ability to speak and use tools. They could out maneuver any normal horse with wit and strength. Their ability to use weapons was honed sharper than any warrior. Thus they were tricky to capture and near impossible to break as an adult.

But young centaurs were moldable and later, breed-able. It was a rather lucrative and profitable business; capturing young centaurs for market. The job was not without difficulty though. For one, they lived in the fields far beyond any human civilization. They were organized and always scouting for danger. They were hard to separate from their young, so mass captures were not common.

Not unless it was funded by someone very rich.

All together, with the right motivation, someone found out it was easy to scatter centaurs in the high of summer when the grass was dry. When fire spread out among the great fields, even centaurs stampeded.

Six very skilled poachers came back with cages and nets of young centaurs, the ones that could not run as fast as the adults and were scooped up when the fire had died down. Some were caught in the flames. Yes, it was terribly tragic, but twelve foals were presented to the King of Abdera and he was very pleased. They ranged from newborns to yearlings. From snow white to dusty red and grass green. They were so small and delicate one could mistake them for forest fauns and they huddled together as much as they could.

Except for one.

One was not quite the same as the others. He was straining against two leads and his arms were shackled behind his back. It took two poachers to keep him in place with ropes pulled taunt at his neck. He was not quadrupedal like the other centaurs, he was bipedal, on two strong pairs of cloven hooves. Dark brown fur covered his waist down and he was older than the yearlings. He was nearly the size of a 12 year old human child. He had the likeness of a satyr, humans observed. His lower half had the shape of a young cow but his tail was that of a horse's. His torso was lean and not old enough to have fully developed muscles. The hair on his head was shaggy brown, possessed the folded ears of a cow, and he had button sized steer horns sprouting from his temples. He also had a discolored nose that resembled, again, a cow.

It was a minotaur, the humans debated, a beast that was part bull and part man. Whispers of the creature from Crete circled the throne room and they knew he was dangerous to keep. The minotaur was deemed ugly by the nobles and unfit to be among the centaurs. The centaurs were sleek and lovely. They huddled together, scared and helpless. The minotaur huffed and pulled at his leads, scrapping his hooves against the smooth marble floor, tarnishing it.

"Why is this abomination here?" the king demanded, waving towards the twelfth creature, who completely threw off their neat little dozen of young centaurs. The minotaur snorted and let out a young but loud sound, like a charging bull. He pulled forward, charging and trying to break free towards the throne. He was yanked back by several men and his balance was thrown, having him land heavily on his back. The nobles and royal members wrinkled their nose in distaste for such an uncouth creature. Inelegant and unsightly.

"He was with the herd," one of the poachers told them and he trapped the minotaur's neck to the floor with a forked staff, so the young boy could do nothing but kick and struggle as his legs were finally strung together and they could finally have more chains to bind him. "He is stronger than any cage that we had to transport him and has been fighting us for days. He's strong, and maybe he would not be a prize centaur, but he could be a working one."

The queen scoffed from beside her king. "He is not a centaur. He is a minotaur. And he's savage."

"He could be trained," the poacher reasoned, still wanting to get paid for all the trouble he'd put himself through to bring the beast there.

"I did not ask for this beast, I asked for centaurs." The king waved his hand. "I will not pay for it. It is a waste of my time." The poachers looked discontent, having put up with enough. They wanted to get rid of this minotaur since they'd lassoed it.

"My liege," one noble purred, sliding towards the king in his fine white robes. "May I suggest something?" The king eyed the noble and waved him forward. The noble went to the king and whispered sweet words into his ear. The frown slowly disappeared, a delighted smile taking it's place on the king's mouth. "Haha! Ha! What a brilliant idea I've just thought of." The noble drew back, fingertips meeting calmly in front of him, eying the panting beast on the floor. "Azazel here will take him for the Colosseum. He will be a great show for the games!" The noble, Azazel, smiled in a quiet, self satisfactory way, "Take him to the pens. The beast will be held there in shackles until he can be shipped to Athens."

The deal was struck. Within the week, the poachers left happy, the king had new centaurs in his stables, and the minotaur was bound and shipped out nearly a thousand miles away.

Unfortunately, for the greedy king, he'd picked the wrong herd to steal children from.

The week after his deal, his castle was picked off by a herd of centaurs. His archers were shot, his carvery outrun, and his foot soldiers drawn into a trap and slayed. Royalty and nobles were running in a frantic whirlwind as adult centaurs burst into the throne room; and the king was not an agile man.

The first beast that seized him was not a centaur he'd ever seen before. It was not half horse but half bull. It was not a full grown bull, still young,and still had four hooves. The human arms gripped the king by his robes and threw him into a wall, seething with ruthless green eyes, short brown hair, and sporting longer steer horns than the minotaur from earlier. The king would have dubbed him handsome if he was not threatened. It so happened that the king had soiled himself from fear.

"Where's, Sammy?" The bull-centaur demanded in rough human speech. He shoved the king against the wall again when the king was too petrified to answer. "Where's my little brother!? He wasn't in with the others!"

"You... you mean that filthy minotaur?" The king squeaked and he was jammed against the wall again and he drew a sword from a scabbard on his back, holding the blade to the king's throat.

"YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" The bull-centaur could have been Hades himself. "Now where's Sam?"

"Dean." A large white and steel hued centaur trotted past the bull-centaur and Dean turned his glare to the lead stallion, who held a torch. "We're done here, let's go."

"Not until this fucker answers me," Dean growled and the king was dizzy with fear.

"A-Athens," the king squeaked, thinking that minotaur was the only beast he hadn't kept. "I brought him for Azazel to fight in the Colosseum in Athens... please don't kill me!" Dean turned his eyes on the king and then tossed him across the throne room and snorted angrily.

"Light it up then, Michael." Dean muttered to the centaur and trotted out, knocking over a few decorative pots with his whipping bull tail on his way out.

The lead stallion, Michael, turned his blazing eyes on the crumpled king. "Since you burned our fields and stole our children, we only bestow upon you, oh human, the same gifts you gave to us." Michael galloped around the room with others, setting the carpets and tapestries alight before all centaurs ran out from the palace, leaving chaos in their wake. Like the poachers had done to them not weeks before.

* * *

Dean stood among the soldiering centaur, who all watched the small human kingdom go up in smoke. Many foals were being held in the strong arms of adult centaurs, curled up and crying. Eleven in total. In the long run they were okay; better than the few that had died in the field fire. Michael looked long and hard at the burning city before the turned, towards the mountains that lead to the valleys and fields.

"We're done here," Michael said. "We must return and cultivate a new field as home."

Dean stood straighter, staring at Michael. "What about Sam? He's in that place. That king called it Athens."

"He's lost to us," Michael said firmly. "It's not worth risking more lives to go and get your brother." Dean's face hardened.

"But we know where he is!" Dean snapped heatedly. "We can go and rescue him, like we did here!" Michael stopped and turned to look at Dean, a cool gaze in his eye that Dean had learned to hate instead of fear.

"You do not understand what Athens is. It is much bigger than this human place. We would all be killed before we even locate your abomination. You can not count the days it would take to get there, much less fight." Dean bristled, back hooves digging into the ground.

"Don't talk about him like that! He's my brother! He's one of us! So what if he's different!" Dean snapped and the other centaurs looked nervously at Dean. The youthful minotaur had always been a rebel, but to yell at the lead stallion may as well have been a challenge.

"He's not one of us," Michael said calmly, with a quiet rage that made everyone else tiptoe away from Dean.

"He is one of us! He doesn't have four hooves, but that doesn't matter. He's herd." Dean stomped his back hooves, fists clenched.

"He always slows down the herd, if nothing else this is a blessing from the gods." Michael turned away from Dean, trotting away. "Be thankful you are alike enough to run among us and not like your father." Dean's temper boiled over and many centaurs skipped away before Dean let out a bull like bellow and charged. Michael turned to see and leaped out of the way. Michael grabbed Dean's arm and grappled with the young minotaur. Dean fell face first into the dirt and his whole body was pinned with Michael's strength. His arm was twisted painfully behind his back and two of Michael's knees dug into his side. Dean looked up only to find a sword at his nose, drawn from his own sheath. Michael stared down at him, as though it was nothing more than dealing with a bug. He was insignificant in Michael's eyes, Dean knew that.

"We are going home." Michael struck the ground with the sword and adjusted his own bow slung across his back as he stood. Michael looked to the rest of the herd. "Move out." They all did as ordered. All good soldiers and herd members. Dean coughed, bringing air back into this body and he gripped the hilt of his sword, pushing himself back onto all four hooves.

"I'll find him!" Dean yelled after Michael. "You damn well better believe I'll find him, you pompous ass!" He pulled the sword from the ground. "And I'm not coming back til I do."

"I'll give your regards to your mother." Was Michael's response before he galloped off and the rest of the herd bounded after him, carrying the exhausted young with them.

Dean's fists clenched and he looked at the raging fire that used to be a city. Sixteen winters old and venturing out to find his brother. It was young for a minotaur.


	2. Labyrinth Break

[10 years later]

Sam was tired. So very tired.

He would close his eyes after a long time of wandering the labyrinth. His hooves hurt. His neck perpetually itched from the shackle around it. His nose ring made it hard to breath the stale air and bugs constantly wanted to eat his flesh. His horse tail jerked, slapping away many of them from his body. His ears flickered from the flies. He was annoyed and uncomfortable. There was nothing but rocks and stone in the labyrinth. A place like this made him sometimes yearn for risking his life in the arena. But that meant he would have to go back to Azazel. Sam shuttered. Terrible pain and fear filled memories; they haunted him when ever her thought of that man. At least then there had been fresh hay to soak in his body warmth instead of damp, dark stone and moss.

Sam was tired of this place. Tired of the dark. Tired of death looming over his head. Tired of being so angry. So tired of fighting.

Sam laid on his back in a curve of stone that was most comfortable. He breathed slowly, taking in the fumes of mold and humid air. He felt queasy and couldn't fully drift off. His stomach clenched uncomfortably; he was so hungry. He was so ill and his belly ached that his eyes teared up. But he wasn't yet ready to finish the corpse of the last human that had been thrown in with him. He wasn't quite that starved yet. He hated killing but it was kill or starve, and Sam had just enough bitterness towards humans to force down the flesh and stay alive. Waiting. Waiting for a way out. He always looked. Checked the perimeter fruitlessly for an exit.

He knew the labyrinth well. It had been his home for a long time. He didn't know how long, but he knew it well enough to avoid crumbling rock in the dark and duck low ceilings so his horns didn't scrape against it uncomfortably. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd seen the sun. He knew sometimes there was more light than others so he guessed that when Helios drove the sun across the sky. Sam's world was dictated by smell, sound, and feel. For some reason he kept holding on in that miserable dungeon. So there had to be a way out.

Water, he thought, feeling his dry tongue against the roof of his mouth. Water would stave his empty belly. He pushed his hulking body up, making his way to one of the outer labyrinth walls. From years of observation he guessed it was a good chance that it was one of those walls to a well, which wouldn't help him get out of the horrible place. The wall was smooth and slanted so the only thing that could climb them was insects. Fresh water pooled in several holes near the wall and he bent down on all fours to drink. He sucked up a good portion before he realized there was something different. He gulped and wiped his mouth with his arm. What was that? That not so unpleasant taste that drove the stagnant twinge from the water. It felt like a long time since he'd tasted it. It tasted pure and reminded him days of his youth, where his older brother showed him a secret place.

"Dean, you don't EAT rocks!" Sam had said, watching Dean bringing the white stone to his mouth and dragging his tongue across it. Dean laughed at him and trotted around on his thick, muscular limbs.

"They aren't rocks, Sammy." Dean waved the rock down at Sam since he'd been so small then, barely 5 springs old. "Try it before you dis it." Sam stared at the brown and white rock and tentatively his tongue darted out to taste it. He hoped it wasn't another of his brother's tricks. Sam blinked, tongue still out, and he took the smooth stone in his own hands to lick it again. Dean grinned at him. "That's salt. It's good for you."

"Salt." Sam repeated, enjoying the new taste.

"You know they say there is water like this. They call it the sea..."

Sam's ears flicked upwards and he looked up where he found a crack in the rock wall. The crack bled wet and Sam ran his tongue against it. Salt. Sam's eyes closed, savoring the flavor. He then smiled. It wasn't a well after all. This leak lead to the sea. Hope flooded Sam and he pressed himself against the wall, pressing an ear against it. There was a fracture in the labyrinth. He pushed his weight against the wall and he listened. Nothing. Could he possibly break open to the outside? He could never be sure how thick the wall was. It could be as thick as the internal walls, which some were fractured enough to allow him to punch down. And maybe, that would be enough.

Sam took a deep breath and pulled his arm back, focusing his force on the wall. Regardless of his strength, this was going to hurt. He gathered force and grunted, snorting as his fist met the wall with a sold crack. Sam waved his hand, feeling numb, and he clutched his hand, stiffing groans of pain up his arm.

Then his ears twitched and he heard something. The plop, plop of stones in water, breaking off from a cliff or wall, perhaps? Sam gasped and nursing his arm was forgotten. He could do it. Given time, he could weaken this wall. Time... Sam shook his head, no. Given force, he could break through. Sam drew back, seeing some more water had pushed itself through the crack after his punch. Sam trotted down the passage, as far as that dead end led. He placed his hands on the ground, one tingling in protest but Sam ignored it. His tail flicked and his hooves dug into the solid rock ground. Anger. Anger always helped him power through things. It would numb the pain and give him the force he needed.

Sam closed his eyes, remembering fire. He remembered being caught in a trap as fire licked at him and he was only rescued by his captors, who shoved him along. He'd been scared and lashed out. He remembered being pawned off to a man who whipped him and beat him if he ever stepped out of line, even by mistake. He remembered fighting and killing at 13 springs old and crying for his herd that never came for him. He remembered cold nights and healing from fighting for his life...

Sam's nose flared, vision honed in on that wall, imagining those icy cold yellow eyes and cruel smile. He huffed and his hooves scraped the ground. He snorted and let out a bellow, charging full speed on two hooves and hitting the wall with the brunt of his horns. He heard a splash and the shift of the stone and witnessed the crack splinter up and spider-web out. Encouraged, he ran back and dug in his nails to the rough stone, remembering being left in the cold and the only thing for warmth was wet hay and stale fish.

Another crack left the wall and more water spouted, creating a fountain.

Missing his family, his brother, his mother, even the centaurs that never treated him as one of their own. He was shunned for not being like them, and even more dis-empowered with humans. He knew what it meant to be weak and vulnerable with humans.

Another hit and Sam felt dizzy but he felt it starting to give as more water sprung intravenously, mimicking the sea that he'd been shipped out on in boats in a cage.

One more, Sam told himself. He had one more in him. Sam drew back, shoulders hunched, scraping his hands against the stone and his hip bumping the wall behind him.

He remembered his father. His no good father that made him this way. They were happy with Dean. Dean was normal. Sam was the freak. Sam was like his dad, a two legged lame foal who couldn't keep up with the rest of the herd. His father hadn't even been a part of the herd, he only drifted by during breeding season. Bastard. Sam huffed, seeing hues of red. Why did Sam have to take after his dad? Why did he have to be the freak that always had to have his big brother defend him. Sam bellowed, "Bastard!" He charged and hit the wall.

It gave and Sam stumbled back, dizzy. His rump hit the wet floor and the next wave hit the wall with a powerful splash. Sam was hit with the wave of salt water and stone. Sam coughed and ran away, hitting a dry area and breathing hard. The setting sun blinded him and Sam took a moment to get his bearings.

Sam took deep breaths and his eyes gazed back to the hole, the red light painting the stone wall. Sam's eyes slowly adjusted to it and he dragged his hooves forward, looking around the safety of darkness. Water rushed in and out of the hole. Fallen rock scattered the once smooth floor and Sam was engulfed in the scent of salt and a fresh breeze. He walked to the edge and bent down low to look out. He rested a blood scraped hand on the jagged opening that was barely big enough for his torso to fit through. He witnessed his first sunset in several years. He just stared at it, eyes adjusting to the colors and seeing grey spots whenever he blinked. Boulders littered the wall everywhere outside but where he stood. The sea had been licking the wall for several years and Sam's eyes watered. Maybe Poseidon had favor for him, freeing him from his cage.

"Freedom," he murmured and slid forward but then back as the sea drained away, revealing the rocks far below the line of all the others. Sam swallowed, not wanting to drop to his doom. The sea was his savior, but it was not without its risks. He looked around, for a moment only seeing the sea and the rocks against the wall that lead to humans. To civilization. Sam wanted to get as far from humans as he could.

Sam looked out and he squinted into the setting sun, finding what looked like a line of sand that lead into land and forest. He swallowed eagerly. A forest. Humans didn't live in forests. Sam looked behind him, instinct told him to flee when the next swell of water rose up and instinct also told him to stay, wait until the sun rose at his back in the morn.

But if he stayed one more night, he'd go crazy and maybe feast again on the rotting flesh in the corner.

The water welled up, splashing against his hooves and Sam leaped, letting the water swallow him and take him out to sea.


	3. Cornucopia of Fruit

Gabriel stretched and cracked his neck in the rays of sunlight with a large yawn. His nest of foliage was damp from the morning dew and he shook himself; his shiver shook the water from his skin and fur. He dug his cloven hooves into the branch as he flexed his fingers on his hand. The sun was rising and Gabriel blinked rapidly to wake up. He gave the tree he was in with a soft pat. "Thanks for putting me up for the night, babe." An angelic face lifted from the wood and she gave him an adoring smile, fluttering her delicate eyelashes and an bark textured hand ghosted out from the bark, blowing him a welcome kiss.

"Any time, lover." The tree nymph smiled coyly as he slid from her branches. She slid down the trunk of her tree to view him better. "The birds say there's a commotion at the sea near here."

"It's not another boat, is it?" Gabriel ran his fingers through his damp hair, combing it back and it curled naturally around his goat horns and ears.

"No," she said wistfully. "It's a beast we've not had in the forest. Larger than a man. Larger than you they say. It is shaped like you, but not." Gabriel quirked a brow. Nymphs were beautiful, wise in ways of the forest, but when it came to anything new, they were not well versed in descriptions.

"So, like me, but bigger, and not like me." It didn't make much sense to Gabriel but she nodded.

"Tis what the birds say," she said, gazing up at the sky and the silhouette of a young virile woman drifted up the trunk to the higher branches. "I must catch my sun." Gabriel nodded and looked towards the treeline that led to the shore. His curiosity was piqued about a new creature. How could he resist? He stretched up again and his horse tail twitched behind him before he started bounding over the rocks and roots of uneven ground. He skipped through the well known forest as swiftly as any deer or bird. His pan flute hung by a cord around his neck and it bounced with each movement. He jumped around trees and over logs, startling some animals out of their hiding spot.

The sea was not a place Gabriel visited often. There was no cover in the sandy dirt and normally an invitation to draw humans if they saw too many creatures. But it was part of Gabriel's territory so he wanted to make sure it was nothing threatening to his forest. As he drew closer, he found the wild goats, birds, and curious fauns peaking at the edge of the forest. Fauns, those other, smaller goat creatures. They were more like rabbits; small and scattered quickly. They had small, twitchy goat tails and their horns never grew past small nubs. He heard humans liked to say they were children of satyrs -Gabriel's species- but they they weren't his kin. Faun may have looked like small satyrs, but they never 'grew up'. They kept their child like appearance and naivety. They were creatures that were favored by Pan, god of the wilderness, and they never strayed to human vices. Gabriel on the other hand was a follower of Dionysus and was a lover of lust and drinking; not that he mingled regularly with humans, but some things were interesting. He never stayed long with them unless he was traveling with the god.

Gabriel dug his forked hooves into the dirt, and several fauns scattered, poking around trees to look to their forest guardian and then back to the shore. The weasels and badgers that had slid out to take a better look ducked back into the safety of the foliage as Gabriel huffed, "You guys are way too nosy for your own good." He looked around first, seeing Helios had just finished pulling the sun out of the sea. Past the grass, into the sand was a dark figure that looked like it had dragged itself up from the water. Gabriel trotted out of the treeline and bent down, crouching a few feet away from it. Well, the nymph wasn't too far off. It was big and shaped like him; Satyr shaped. The hooves were cloven but the horns were smooth and curled forward. One horn was broken. Then there was the metal collar around the neck. That was human; so the creature had been human-owned. The question was, was it's will broken? Further more, was it still alive?

Gabriel tiptoed around on his hands and hooves. The new being had a horse tail like his, but it was ragged and uncared for. Dark, brown fur from the haunches to the cloven hooves. Muscular back and long hair that matched his fur, as well as the two ears of a cow. When Gabriel got around to the face he blinked. The creature just had the cutest dark, furred nose. Shaped like a bovine's, but it was marred by an ugly nose ring; the kind humans used for cattle. It was cute though, like a goat's or a young kid. Gabriel reached out, using two fingers to stroke the soft fur on the human looking face.

There was a snort from the nose and bright green eyes flew open. Gabriel hopped back, halfway to the forest in one leap before he looked back to the creature. It grunted. He grunted. The creature was definitely male. He arched his back and coughed, water spilling onto the sand. His body curled up, slowly dragging himself up further onto shore. Gabriel turned back to him, not as threatened by his slowness. He blinked and his fingers curled through the small beard at the end of his chin, twisting it around as he watched the stranger come to terms with his surroundings.

"Hey, you alright there?" Gabriel asked. The creature grunted, head lifted to look at Gabriel through long locks of hair. He stood faster, or at least tried. Gabriel stood straight and still. There was the sea and the forest. Gabriel didn't want to corner any human trained animal and have it run into his forest. Beyond the sea was the short peninsula town of Knossos. It was the closest human place to where they were. "Hey, did you swim that?" It was a long way away and Gabriel could see the outline of in the lifting fog. The ugly stone thing in the distance. Poseidon was not kind to boats there and it kept this tiny shore free from humans for the most art, as Gabriel was thankful for. So seeing this stranger was something new. "Hey, you speak plain Greek, don't you? Come on now. Communication is key when you're coming into my territory."

"Go 'way." The stranger gave him a bull like snort, hooves kicking at the dirt. Gabriel eyed the creature. There was no way it was up for defending itself or picking a fight with Gabriel, a forest guardian. Not in that condition. Not when he was tired from the sea and swaying back and forth like he was. Gabriel crouched, raising a brow, but still meeting eyes with the stranger.

"I'm Gabriel, the guardian of this place, so I can't really 'go away'." Gabriel waved his hand. "Come now, come now, let's be civil about this. We're not humans here." The stranger eyed him and his tongue darted out, pushing the nose ring ever so slightly. The ring was brass and it glinted in the light as it moved. "What's your name?"

The stranger eyed him and settled down a little, crouching like Gabriel had, but still on guard. "Sam." He paused. "Just Sam." Gabriel's ears perked up, smiling.

"Nice to meet you, Sam. What are you doing here?" Gabriel's eyes flickered to the collar around his fur-less neck, then -out of habit- down his chest, abs, and thighs. Sam looked like he could use a meal, his stomach was extra tight. Little scrapes and scars covered Sam's skin, all sealed closed with the salt of the sea and time, but the weariness was clear. "Not here to make trouble I hope." Sam used his hands to support him on the ground.

"I just wanted air." Sam muttered, knees finally hitting the ground, burst of defense draining out of him. "I need to find..." He paused, looking pained. "I just got out." Gabriel inched closer, pointing to the collar around his neck.

"You got out of some human's lead?" Gabriel asked and Sam tensed up, eyes capturing a fear and fierceness all in one.

"I'm not going back!" He reared back and Gabriel held up his hands.

"Well I'm not looking to see any humans or take you back, so relax." Gabriel inched closer again and quirked his head. "So you're a runaway, eh?" Runaways normally led packs of humans to go find them if they were important enough. Gabriel wasn't one to assist any humans though so he had to give the beast credit if he escaped Knossos on the island of Crete. Gabriel smiled. "Hungry?" Sam stared at him and he groaned along with a loud belly whine that left Sam's body. Gabriel chuckled softly. "Yeah, I'd say so." Gabriel stood and backed up. "Stay right there." Gabriel skipped back to the edge of the forest where a few animals dove once again back into the woods. Gabriel ignored them and petted a few of the trees, drawing out their lovely nymphs. He asked them sweetly to donate a little of their fruit for him and their guest. Within minutes he had a small cornucopia of loquats, apples, figs, and oranges. He thanked them and returned to the shadeless plane of grass, where Sam was laying on his chest, resting. Sam immediately sat up when Gabriel came trotting out of the forest. Sam's nose flared, taking in a deep breath around the ring and Gabriel smiled as he pulled out a orange.

"I am presuming that you like fruit of course." Gabriel mentioned and Sam backed up onto his hooves, backing away from Gabriel's approach, crouched low. Gabriel raised a brow but he crouched as well, rolling the orange in the sandy grass until it bumped into Sam's hand. Sam picked it up and inched away, taking a bite out of the rind to open it as he put some distance between himself and Gabriel. Gabriel watched, amused as he took a bite of an apple. Gabriel flicked his tail out of his way and he sat on his rump, taking in the many scars that were lashed into Sam's back and the sun dried sea hair that looked matted and unclean; even whilst bathed in the sea. Sam was panting hard after each swallow of the sweet fruit and he wasn't clean or neat about parting the fruit into delicate sections. The seeds may have also been swallowed. When every last drip of citrus was gone from his hands, Sam looked back to Gabriel, who was only on his third bite.

"Another?" Gabriel held up a loquat and Sam nodded, his ferocity changing to just pitiful hunger. Gabriel held out the ripe yellow fruit and Sam crouched still, eying it. "Come now, I'm not here to hurt you and you're a big boy, you can take it nicely." Sam slinked forward and his hooves were as far from Gabriel as he could be but his long arm reached out to take the loquat, making sure not to have any skin to skin contact. Sam backed away two steps and took a moment to figure out how to eat it, as though he'd never had one before. Gabriel just ate his apple and cradled the horn of fruit to his side in the grass.

"So what are you?" Gabriel asked as Sam sucked the pulp from the thin rind, nearly swallowing the seeds as well for how fast he was gulping it down. He had juice all over his face. Gabriel didn't like all those signs, the ones that told Gabriel that Sam had been a caged animal. Sam took his time to answer, not very enthusiastic about the questions.

"Centaur," Sam muttered and licked the juice from his fingers. Gabriel twisted his beard thoughtfully around a finger.

"You don't look much like a centaur," Gabriel informed him. "Centaurs are like horses, and they have four hooves and two arms." Sam grimaced as though remembering.

"I am a centaur," Sam insisted and looked to the cornucopia again, licking his lips. "But... my father was a minotaur." Gabriel's brows rose high.

"Oooh, I see." Gabriel grinned. "I've heard of minotaurs. They're exceptionally rare and strong. Gifts from the sea, they say." Sam looked pained at his words, flicking the loquat pits and skin away.

"A curse, I think," Sam said. "My whole life is a curse."

Gabriel chortled. "Curses do not swim the gulf and make it to shore alive." Gabriel took up an apple and rolled it down one arm, letting it travel across his shoulders and down his other before flicking it up over to Sam who ducked the apple instead of catching it. Gabriel rolled his eyes because Sam picked it up anyway and his teeth crunched into it. "A little skittish, aren't you?" Sam didn't reply, chewing and gulping down what he could as fast as he could. "You act as though you've never had fruit before." Sam chewed hastily, glancing back to Gabriel. He swallowed, actually taking a break with food in his hands.

"It's been years," Sam said, eyes watery and sad and it tugged on Gabriel's heart a bit. No beast, especially a majestic minotaur, should go years without a bite of fruit.

"You thirsty?" Gabriel asked and Sam nodded. The sea had clearly left him parched. Gabriel stood and Sam watched him warily again. "There's a spring just a little ways into the woods. I will allow you to drink and rest here for a time." Gabriel picked up the basket, still overflowing with edible goods and walked back a ways to his forest. He looked back at where Sam stayed. Sam bit down into the rest of his apple, the only part of it he didn't eat was the seeds or the stem. Even after he was done he didn't move towards the safety of the trees. Gabriel shook his head. "Come on, I'm not leading you with a line of food like a faun."

"I like the open," Sam murmured.

"So do humans," Gabriel said offhandedly. Humans had spy glasses and were sure to see a large minotaur like Sam on the beach if he lingered too long. "Food and fresh water are in the forest, not here in the sun." Gabriel waved the cornucopia at Sam, gaining the minotaur's eyes. "I'll give you the lot here if you be good and listen to me. This is my forest, my rules." Sam licked his lips, tongue bumping the nose ring. "The dry grass out here won't support a big guy like you." Sam huffed and was coaxed to his hooves. He took slow, tired steps towards Gabriel, eyes flickering to the shaded forest of cypress, chestnut, pine, and plane trees . Gabriel jostled the basket and Sam trotted a little quicker. Gabriel chuckled and Sam stopped for a moment, just before the tree line. He took a deep breath and put a hand on a tree for support, stepping into the line of sticks and dirt, out of the baking sun.

Sam was a little distracted by the interior of the forest, as though he'd stepped into an alien world. He looked about and Gabriel was not surprised that everything in the area had left. The birds were silent, the rabbits were in their holes. Fauns hid without peeking and the nymphs were retreated into their trees. Gabriel hopped upon a large boulder and instantly felt better in the shade. He cradled the cornucopia with one arm and lifted up his pan flute, playing a few one handed notes. Sam's ears lifted with the sound and he looked cautiously at Gabriel. Gabriel just smiled and nodded his head before he hopped off the rock and took a couple skips towards the spring. Sam was not so spry on his legs though. He tiptoed through the brush, making a racket of stepping on everything from sticks to logs and Gabriel was going exceptionally slow for the minotaur.

"You've got flat hooves." Gabriel sat on a low tree limb after a few minutes of travel, nearly to the spring and Sam was huffing and puffing, sweat slicking back his hair.

"You're jumping too fast," Sam quipped back and Gabriel's lips curled into a smile.

"Almost there." Gabriel bounded up the slope and when he reached the top of the hill. He played a few more notes and heard an exhausted sigh head his way. Gabriel leaned down and took a sip of fresh, crisp water from the small pool that trickled down the rocks and moss. A few cute water nymphs peeked their heads up curiously since their guardian was there, but when Sam appeared, stomping through the bush, they faded out into the water. "Everything is hiding." Gabriel complained but Sam didn't seem to hear him. Sam hit the edge of the spring and dunked his head right into the water, startling Gabriel as well as three of the nymphs, who swam up the stream so fast that they disappeared once again into their element. Sam came back up for air and panted heavily. Gabriel blinked and started laughing before Sam started drinking the water down in large gulps.

"Does that ring make it hard to breath?" Gabriel laid on one of the slick rocks as Sam took a break from drinking and he laid down to rest.

"Yes." Sam breathed heavily through his mouth as he spoke. "Told you... going... too fast."

"You're also not up to snuff." Gabriel rolled his shoulders and turned onto his back. He lifted his flute and played a few low notes, enjoying the spot, nymphs or not. Sam didn't answer, he just snuck one of the fruits from the horn and started eating again. "I said you could have the whole cornucopia." Sam blinked.

"You were serious about that?" Sam asked.

"Of course." Gabriel glanced over and Sam dragged it closer, as though Gabriel was going to go back on his word. "So, you look like you've got a story to tell." Sam took a slower bite of an apple and he glanced at Gabriel.

"I don't really." Sam said quietly.

"Oh come on, everyone has a story." Gabriel looked over at Sam, "You came from Knossos, right?" Sam slowly nodded.

"If you mean the human town, yes, I..." Sam took a deep breath and stared at the bitten fruit. "I was in this place. This dark, maze of tunnels, and..." Sam took another deep breath. "They called it a labyrinth."

"Labyrinth," Gabriel repeated curiously. "THE Labyrinth?"

"I guess so." Sam shifted uneasily, looking up at the trees where the sun was shielded by the tree leaves. "The stone was carved into slabs and made patterns. It was all flat, mostly. It was dark. With no sun or trees." Gabriel frowned.

"No sun or trees?" Gabriel had heard of a maze in Knossos, but Gabriel's life was in the forest. His survival depended on the woods around him. "How did you survive?" Sam 's head bowed and ears lowered.

"There were pools of water that would gather in holes but... they didn't bring me food. They would lock humans in there with me... and I had nothing else to eat. It was me or them." Gabriel stared at Sam and Sam's shoulders hunched up. "I finally found a fault in the wall and I charged it until it broke." Sam touched his broken horn gingerly. Neither horn was sharp, but one was truly broken recently and the other was just worn down with time. "And then there was the sea..." Sam's shoulders relaxed. "And... it was either going to kill me or save me, so I jumped." Gabriel blinked slowly at Sam and Sam slowly looked up, eyes watery and a big minotaur like Sam should not have looked so innocent.

"You're blessed by the sea." Gabriel smiled. "You have a god watching over you." Sam shook his head and took another bite of fruit.

"I wouldn't go that far," Sam said around the mouthful. "If I had a god's favor, I wouldn't have been taken from my herd and..." His throat swelled up and he closed his mouth as he had trouble swallowing. Gabriel rolled off his rock, letting his flute hang around his neck. He didn't want to make Sam cry or anything.

"Well, you're out, right?" Gabriel reminded him. Sam nodded slowly, licking his juice slicked lips. Gabriel gave him a smile, crouching so he was eye level, "And now you're fed and watered. So, what you looking to do now?" Sam took another bite of apple and thought it over.

"I need to find my herd. My brother... I'm sure my brother is worried about me." Sam took a deep breath. "Him and mom were the only ones who ever cared about me."

Gabriel blinked. "Well, there are no centaurs or minotaurs around here."

Sam visibly saddened. "Oh... I... Do you know, maybe there the nearest field or valley is? I could probably... start searching."

"You don't seem to understand." Gabriel waved a hand. "This earth we stand on," he patted the grassy earth with his hoof, "is Crete. It is a blessing of the sea. It's a large isle of rocky sand, trees, and stone. There aren't any large fields or valleys. Not even any big predators. In fact, I think you're the biggest thing out here." Sam's mouth fell open, blinking.

"So... that's where they took me," Sam said softly.

"They put you on a boat?" Gabriel inquired and Sam nodded.

"A long time ago." Sam sucked in a deep breath. "I was in a place called Athens for 7 winters, and then they put me on another boat to be brought here. I wouldn't listen any more and I got put in the Labyrinth." Sam tossed the core of the apple away. Gabriel nodded slowly.

"I've heard of Athens." Gabriel nodded again with a knowing firmness. "It's far north of here over the sea. Part of the main land." Gabriel chuckled. "It's much farther than where you swam from. Even with a god's favor, you would probably drown if you tried to swim it." Sam gave him a sad, hopeless look and Gabriel's smile dropped. Humans had access to boats and rigs to cross the sea, but creatures like Gabriel stuck to their territory, to the place they called home. "Well, if nothing else, you can stay. I mean, if you can't find a way back, you're welcome here. Welcome to remain free." Sam took a moment, looking around the forest. Sam took a deep breath, as though it was the first time he was realizing it; breathing and being free.

The only thing really hindering him was that ugly nose ring.

"How about we get rid of that metal in your nose first." Gabriel stood and Sam stared at him and his tongue darted out to touch the brass ring.

"You can do that?" Sam asked hopefully.

"I can damn well try." Gabriel waved for Sam to follow him and Sam curiously stood, holding the cornucopia in both hands awkwardly. "Follow me!" And Gabriel took off up the hill and Sam groaned loudly, trotting instead of jumping, which made him slower than Gabriel's grand leaps.


	4. Shackle Free

Sam remembered when he first got the nose ring. It was searing pain between his nostrils after 2 winters of being in the area. The humans had said he was becoming harder to stop after a fight and the nose ring would help. Azazel had commented that at least now Sam had something pretty on his face. Sam's head and face hurt for several weeks of healing. The weight on his nose became the norm, but it became a handicap he hated Azazel for. No matter how angry or violent he was, he was never willing to pull away from his face nearly being torn off. It made it hard to breath, and if his opponent in the ring was smart enough, they used it to their advantage; tugging on it or hitting him in the face; and it HURT. His eyes would water and he had to go where it led.

It was humiliating; eating with it, having a rope tied to it, being led around when he was younger with no other lead but his nose. And Azazel would always gain compliments because of his supposed 'tame' minotaur. Sam was anything but broken though.

"I... don't know about this." Sam said once Gabriel laid out his plan to get rid of the ring. They were in some sort of rock quarry near the forest edge. Large boulders and stones littered the ground with widely spaced trees and uneven earth made it difficult to navigate. Sam remembered walking the flat fields, the dirt, stone streets, and the level ground of the labyrinth. These inclines and dips were not what his hooves were used to.

"It's fool proof," Gabriel said with so much confidence that perhaps if they weren't near a huge crop of unstable rocks -rocks larger than SAM himself- he might have believed Gabriel. Gabriel wanted Sam to wedge his nose ring between some fractured rocks and then smash a heavy rock near his face to break the seal on the metal ring where it had been welded shut on his face.

Understandably, Sam was nervous about allowing a complete stranger to do this. Sam would be nervous if his brother wanted to do it. It just sounded like pain would be somewhere in the equation and Sam didn't want to lose an eye, or his nose. As ugly as humans said his cow nose was, it helped him breathe and it was rather sensitive. Sam's finger flicked the ring a little because it was loose enough to move around, but it was also only long enough to reach his lips.

"I don't like the plan," Sam said finally.

"Well, I'm not exactly human." Gabriel raised his brows at Sam. "I don't have those tools they used to put it on you, so I don't exactly have tools to simply get it off. Don't worry, I won't damage your cute nose." Sam slowly raised an eyebrow. He was sure that was sarcasm. Sam had a small, brown calf nose that no one but his father had probably had. Of course his father wasn't exactly like him. His father had the whole head and hooves of a bull and the rest of him was a man; so his mother explained in vivid detail. No one else in the herd had a nose like him. They all had normal, centaur faces; which were a lot like humans. Dean had been good looking among the herd; even for a minotaur. Dean seemed to come out right while Sam... well, Sam didn't. Sam had two legs instead of four. He was slower than a centaur half his age. He was stronger than a full grown centaur, but that didn't really earn him points from the others. The point was, that he was never fast and never quite 'right'.

"Come on," Gabriel prompted Sam and Sam swallowed dryly. "Don't you want to breath?" Sam flicked the ring with his tongue again.

"I don't really want you pounding my face in with a rock," Sam defended mildly, taking a step from the rock formation. Sam scratched at his neck, where the neck shackle bit into his flesh. He'd been growing while in the Labyrinth and if he'd still been in Athens they would have given him a new collar as he grew. Gabriel sighed, folding his arms.

"What about the collar?" Gabriel waved a finger at the iron ring and his fingers grabbing the edge of the metal. He'd grown used to the itch beneath it and its slight rattle as it moved. It was bolted together where the metal stuck out and the other side was hinged. It had slowly began to rust over the years from sweat and water. Sam could tell only because when he rubbed it, red dirt smeared his worn fingers. "I could get that open with two good rocks." Sam slowly nodded.

"Okay," Sam agreed anxiously. Gabriel devised a no better plan, but it was away from his face so Sam was a little more flexible with the idea. The collar also hindered his breath and eating; perhaps worse than the nose ring.

Sam held the collar and leaned the bolted end that jutted out from the circle against a sharp cornered boulder. Gabriel tapped a flatter rock against the bolt, testing the best angle to strike.

"Have you ever done this before?" Sam finally asked.

"Nope." Gabriel threw him an easy smile. "So just hold really still." Sam tensed up and felt the vibrations through the metal as Gabriel struck it. Sam's ears folded back from the noise. The clanking continued and Gabriel was focused on the work, coaxing the metal bolt to bend with each meeting of rock. Sam closed his eyes, flinching sometimes when the rock would splinter.

Gabriel hit his fingers once and that lead to several minutes of cursing, but within the hour, the bolt was loose and Sam rattled it. Gabriel tossed the chipped rock away. "Maybe we can pull it open the rest of the way," Sam suggested. He hadn't been able to wiggle his fingers in between his neck and the metal before, so that in itself was an amazing stride.

"Maybe," Gabriel agreed and hopped up on a flat rock behind Sam, which was as tall as Sam's back. Sam was constantly amazed with the height and speed of which Gabriel could jump. He did it with ease and rarely used his hands for balance while on the ground. Gabriel wiggled his fingers between the collar and Sam's flesh and Sam's skin tingled with the contact. Physical contact was not what he was used to. Sam dug his fingers in by his throat and took a deep breath. "On 3." Sam hummed in acknowledgment, "1, 2, 3!" They pulled and for a moment it didn't want to give. Gabriel dug a hoof into Sam's shoulder and Sam heard the creak of metal before the band suddenly snapped open. Gabriel's butt hit the boulder and Sam panted, holding the broken strips of metal. Gabriel laughed and Sam turned around, seeing Gabriel sit up, grinning at Sam. "Ta-dah!" The hinge on the collar squeaked as Sam held it. In a moment of realization, Sam dropped it as though it had been on fire. It clanked on the ground and Sam's hands ran over his neck where the tender flesh was. Taking such deep breaths almost felt dizzying.

"It's off," Sam said appreciatively. Gabriel moved, leaning his elbows on the rock and gazed at Sam with a look of pride.

"Told you I'd get it." Gabriel was eye level with Sam at that height and Sam blinked before he slowly cricked his neck to each side, which he hadn't been able to do in years. Small pops released tension and he smiled back at Gabriel.

"I can't... believe it. Thank you." Sam was flooded with relief. Gabriel feeding him and giving him water was one thing, but helping to free him from his bonds was a completely different matter. Gabriel pointed to Sam's nose, nearly touching it.

"I can still get that," Gabriel told him. Sam took a deep breath and shook his head. He'd had enough for that day. Exhaustion was setting in and the sun was only half traveled across the sky. He'd dragged himself out of the water that morning and he'd ignored his tired bones because strangers were about. Sam rarely wanted to show how tired he was. Being tired had always made him a target in the area.

"Another day." Sam brushed it off. He'd dealt with it for years and it didn't hinder him as it once had. Having the neck shackle removed made his day as it was. Gabriel nodded, observing the sun offhandedly.

"We have been at this a while." Gabriel slid down to the level ground with Sam and headed back towards the forest. Sam looked down at the metal on the ground and didn't hesitate as he followed Gabriel.


	5. Hop, Skip, and A Jump

They ventured deep into the trees as the light was growing red and Sam tromped through the woods, nearly losing sight of the satyr. Sam sighed. Even with his herd he always fell behind everyone. He couldn't gallop like them; even with centaurs his own age he couldn't keep up with. Sometimes on long migrations, he would ride Dean's back, but it wasn't a good thing to do. It only made him look like a burden. And humans would ride on broken centaurs, making the action even more stigmatic.

"Pick up your hooves!" Gabriel called back from up the hill and Sam sighed again.

"I'm coming." Sam remembered the younger foals prompting him to do the same in his youth.

Gabriel hopped down a few rocky boulders back to him and raised his brows at him. "Okay, you're not in the fields anymore. You got to move in the forest with a little more gusto." Sam blinked slowly. "Let's see you jump." Sam's brow furrowed and his ears folded back. He'd seen trained fauns and dogs jump around in Athens's streets and he was not anyone's amusement.

"I'm not jumping around," Sam protested.

"You can't just trot through here." Gabriel eyed him sternly, hands on his waist. "Takes way too much energy." Sam continued to give a sour look and Gabriel hopped closer and smacked Sam's flank, startling Sam and making him hop forward. "Come ON, you have some powerful lookin' legs there. You should use them." Sam rubbed his thigh where Gabriel had smacked him playfully. Gabriel just hopped up a couple rocks leading up hill. "Come now, let's see it." Sam looked at the small leveled rocks, like nature's stairs. He walked up them and Gabriel rolled his eyes. "A stubborn one, aren't you?"

"I'm not hopping around like some circus entertainment," Sam told him firmly.

"It's not for human entertainment." Gabriel hopped up another rock, one Sam couldn't walk on. "It's for moving in the forest in general." Sam gave him a skeptical look. Gabriel sighed and tapped the rock with a hoof, standing up straight. "I can't keep stopping for you, so come on."

"I've never been that fast," Sam said defensively, "and I don't need you to wait for me."

"And this is my forest, my rules. You're still a stranger here." Gabriel waved him to follow. "Come on." Sam wasn't convinced and he could tell Gabriel was growing frustrated with him. Then Gabriel sprung off the rock and Sam felt a sharp smack on his rear, hard enough to make Sam jump again. Gabriel was smirking, a few hops away from Sam. "Hard way it is, Sam."

"Stop hitting me," Sam huffed through his nose.

"Make me." Gabriel grinned and ran around Sam, making the minotaur spin around and there was another startling crack on his ass. Sam jumped back, hands flying to his rear end. Gabriel grinned, appearing on the rock a second time. "You do have a nice back side." Sam flushed from the comment, ears folding back. It was not something he heard often, and Gabriel's lighthearted words seemed to be more of a tease than genuine compliment. The grin on Gabriel's face was enough to say how playful the satyr was being.

"You're not funny," Sam told him.

"I'm hilarious." Gabriel picked up his flute and blew out a few sharp notes at Sam. "Come on, hopping, jumping, dancing; it's the only way to live." Sam folded his arms, looking away. Only a moment later, he felt another hand on his ass and Sam jumped, swinging around to grab the satyr, but Gabriel leapt back and played his frustrating pipes at him.

"Stop it," Sam told him again, this time with more force.

"Make me," Gabriel challenged, acting like a kid instead of a full grown goat-man. Another hop and a jump and Sam spun around, ready for another assault on his rear. But Gabriel had disappeared. He was like a ghost in his own forest. A sharp high note screeched in Sam's ear and Sam jumped to grab the pipes and break them but he only grasped air and Gabriel got a handful of Sam's butt.

"Gabriel!" Sam snapped and Gabriel chortled, hopping up again to his safe point on a rock.

"I like the way you say my name," Gabriel teased and Sam felt a sudden surge of violence. He pulled himself up on the rock and Gabriel only became giddier, tooting his flute and hopping up the next few rocks. Sam gave chase and Gabriel was always one step ahead. Gabriel was more used to the terrain and he cheated, using the trees as his advantage to turn sharp corners and climb up large boulders.

Sam huffed and puffed, head becoming light for a moment as he neared the top of the hill, searching for wherever Gabriel had disappeared to. The day's traveling was catching up to him. His rage subsided, hearing the trickle of water from a small pond. He followed the sound, dragging his hooves in the foliage and he took a large drink, cooling his temper and quenching his throat. There was a distant splash and the water rippled under Sam's nose. He looked up, finding Gabriel was in the water, his hair wet and his goat ears flicked water away from them. Gabriel was grinning as he looked at Sam. Sam immediately frowned.

"I knew you had some power in your legs," Gabriel said knowingly and swam closer. "You jumped all the way after me with no problem." Sam glared at Gabriel.

"You assaulted me," Sam accused.

"Hard to resist." Gabriel waggled his brows, leaning his elbow on a rock near shore. He nodded his head to the hill. "You can jump just as well as I can. I bet you're less tired too."

Sam looked down the hill, taking a moment to blink. Had he really followed Gabriel up the steep rocks so fast? The earth was full of protruding boulders, uneven terrain, and trees. He wasn't as as worn out as he expected to be, but he didn't admit this to Gabriel. Sam felt water splash his ankles and Sam stepped back, blinking. Gabriel grinned, waving Sam to follow him in.

"The water is great." Gabriel used his arms to paddle backwards. Sam eyed Gabriel, knowing the comment was an invitation.

"I've had enough swimming from last night," Sam said and Gabriel swam forward, splashing him again, hitting Sam's thighs, earning a frown.

"Yeah, and you smell like the sea. You scare everything away by just your smell." Gabriel took a breath and sank under the water. Sam took a moment to sniff and lick his fore arm. He got a whiff of the ocean around the metal and his tongue did pick up that he was coated in salt. It was much different than the fresh springs and the pond. He carefully trotted into the water and when he was waist deep, he followed Gabriel's example, dipping himself under the water. It was nice and cool. Sam took a deep breath as he came up, finding Gabriel was close by. The urge to ring his neck was gone for the moment. Gabriel had just gotten him up the hill without a big fuss. "Better, yeah?" Gabriel prompted with a waggle of his brow.

Sam was quiet, face sinking down into the dark tinged water a moment, still eying Gabriel wearily. But he nodded and lifted his chin above the surface. "Better." Gabriel grinned and Sam sank below the cool liquid to ignore his heated skin on his face. Gabriel was exceptionally nice to him since he arrived and Sam was not used to it. But it was nice. He was well fed on fruit and water. There was plenty of grass and roots to eat; which Sam remembered from his foraging days. He no longer had to survive on the flesh of dead men to get by. He supposed he could stay until until he was feeling better; until a plan came to his mind about what he was going to do next.


	6. Stallion of the Herd

Sam slept like the big boulder he lay next to at night. At least for several days after Sam's arrival, the minotaur ate and slept when he could. Gabriel had several fauns and nymphs keep an eye on him, to make sure he wasn't really a trouble maker, but Sam was anything but misbehaved. He was cautious and wary of all the other animals. He was different; no denying that. Even for just being a minotaur, he was different. Gabriel had only heard stories of them and he had never personally known any before he met Sam. He heard they were strong above all things. Short-tempered, which was accurate with Sam. They also lived as far away from humans as possible, prowling rocky territories and forests of their own. Most territories, he heard, were by the sea, a lot like Gabriel's. That made Gabriel weary because he didn't want to fight Sam for his own territory. But so far, Sam showed no signs of marking with his horns against trees or rubbing his scent with the nymphs.

The nymphs themselves were curious, as they often were, but last time the water nymphs tried to make contact, Sam was startled and he stomped his hooves so hard that they all melted back into the water. The wild goats were braver than the nymphs and the normal animals were slowly learning that Sam wasn't a predator. So the goats would graze nearby on prickly grass, but Sam sort of gazed at them like a human would. Like a predator. But Sam looked more fascinated than hunting.

With two weeks passing in no time, Gabriel also saw how Sam filled out when he was fed and watered regularly. Sam was already tall and that was an advantage in itself, but he gained a healthier bulk to his flesh and his fur was sleeker with health. His ragged tail started to grow and Gabriel had disentangled that matted mane Sam had called hair; since the nymphs still weren't ready to meet with him. Sam was often more startled when they popped out on him unexpectedly.

"Gabriel?" Sam found him, again, after Sam had woken up from another long sleep. Gabriel didn't sit around and baby sit the new comer all day and night. Gabriel had territory to scout, nymphs to flirt with, and problems to plan for. But Sam had a real knack for finding Gabriel, wherever he was.

"You are a bit clingy, don't you think?" Gabriel was sitting in a low branched tree. And he HAD been talking to a lovely tree nymph until she disappeared and Sam popped up 5 seconds later. At least Sam was getting quieter on his hooves now.

Sam blinked, as though confused. "No. Why?" Gabriel slid from the tree and sighed up at the minotaur who always tracked him down.

"You know, it was really cute the first few days with you following me about, and I showed you around. But you don't have to follow me around every day." Gabriel waved his hand and Sam's ears drooped. Honestly, such a large beast like Sam should not have possessed the ability to look so hurt and naïve.

"You... don't like it when I follow you?" Sam asked. Gabriel raised a brow, because really, he thought Sam knew it was okay for him to roam around on his own. Minotaurs were solitary creatures anyway, he'd heard, and grown male satyrs were too for the most part.

"Again, it's cute, it really is." Gabriel really didn't mind it most of the time. He liked having someone to talk to that, well, had more sense than a tree. Sam was still also being reacquainted with being away from humans, so the following behavior seemed a bit logical to Gabriel. But when Gabriel was trying to get laid, Sam did tend to become a bit of an annoyance. And Gabriel wouldn't mind so much if he was trying to get laid with Sam, but the minotaur was super jumpy and didn't seem to like intimate contact, which always put a damper on Gabriel's mood.

"Oh." Sam folded his arms, hugging them to his chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." Sam pursed his lips and Gabriel hated the amount of guilt he felt when Sam had those watery eyes and looked so left behind. Gabriel hopped up on a rock and slid down to sit on it.

"Don't clam up. What do you need? Food? Water?" Gabriel felt a lot like a caretaker for having to ask. Sam didn't talk too much though, so he needed a little prying. "Did you forget where the mineral rocks were." Sam shook his head on all three accounts.

"No. I just... I assumed we were..." Sam shook his head.

"Assumed we were what?" Gabriel wasn't sure what Sam was assuming they were. He could possibly assume they were lovers when they hadn't slept together and Sam didn't come across as a person who had a hero worship complex. Sam had even chased him half way through the forest in a fit of rage once or twice, so it wasn't that. Sam's eyes flickered up to Gabriel.

"Herd," Sam said quietly."I thought... I wrongly thought we were herd." Sam was quiet and Gabriel blinked, "I guess you don't do that here." Gabriel let out a quiet breath, he forgot that Sam was part centaur and they were that social, family bonded type of living that Gabriel hadn't really participated in since he was a young kid.

"No, not really," Gabriel said. "This territory has the benefit of not being passed through very often." Gabriel waved his hand inquiringly. "Means you basically stick together, right?" Sam nodded.

"Safety in numbers." Sam nodded. "You have to keep up with the leading stallion." Gabriel quirked a brow and a cracked a smile.

"Is that how you see me? Lead stallion?" Gabriel joked mildly, because he wouldn't mind a title like that.

"Aren't you?" Sam asked seriously. "You're guardian of this forest." Gabriel considered Sam for a moment.

"I am." Gabriel smiled a little, starting to see what was going through Sam's little brain. They were both cloven-hoofed, horse-tailed, bipedal, horned males. The sameness made Gabriel more comfortable with Sam so it had to be the same for Sam as well. "I guess that means you think you have to stick with me, right?"

"I don't want to be left behind." Sam said soulfully. Gabriel nodded slowly and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I see." Gabriel looked at Sam. "But, you know, didn't your stud ever need a little private time with the lady centaurs?" Sam nodded slowly.

"He wouldn't go far." Sam knew enough to flush, perhaps remembering those younger memories. "Everyone always heard them."

"Well I need a little company with the lovely nymphs as well." Gabriel said and Sam blinked and took a few steps back.

"Oh, I didn't know." Sam shrugged a little awkwardly. And his horns got hooked on a low hanging branch and he was stuck for a moment and even more flustered a moment later when he was free, trying to not look like he was acting like a teenager more than a full grown bull. Gabriel chuckled, spring did that to animals in the forest. Spring time was around the corner and already starting to edge into that natural procreation time.

"By the way, let your stallion know if you need some help with that." Gabriel teased lightly as he slid down from the rock to follow the weary minotaur.

"I... I'm fine, thanks," Sam said, stopping a few steps down the lower terrain.

"Well, you've had sex before, right?" Gabriel asked. "This isn't your first spring." Sam looked up at Gabriel, who was eye level on another boulder.

"I... I've never been allowed," Sam said tentatively. "I wasn't old enough when I was taken, and the humans didn't choose to... 'breed' me." Gabriel frowned. Humans choosing who bred and who didn't still was such a bizarre concept to him. After all, who wouldn't want to breed a fine young male like Sam, Gabriel certainly would. "I just fought for entertainment." Sam gestured to his crotch, where his male bits were retracted into his body like any sensible anatomy when not in use. "In spring time, when I fought, they had this..." he waved his hand, as though it was hard to explain. "A belt with teeth. They called it a chastity belt." Gabriel made such a disgusted and horrified face that a small, amused smile graced Sam's lips. "It was anything but pleasant."

"I can only imagine." Gabriel shook his head and his body shivered at the thought. "But you don't have to worry about that." Gabriel smiled. "There's going to be a party soon, and we'll just have to get laid." Gabriel blinked.

"A party?" Gabriel asked with a mix of curiosity and cautiousness.

"Aye! A party." Gabriel danced across a couple rocks and picked up his flute, blowing a couple notes, "Dionysus and we myriad of satyrs and maenads will drink and be merry for a night of wine and love." Gabriel grinned, giving Sam a sly side glance. "Music and dancing. Wine and fun. Worshiping our god until no one can move the next morn." Sam gave him a look of half inquiring ears and trying to process the idea. "You can be my plus-one."

"I've never been to a party like that," Sam admitted.

"I can tell. This is why you should go." Gabriel smiled and waggled his brows. "You get to see me in all kinds of action." Sam's face was turning a nice shade of red. "There's no such thing as chastity there."

"Maybe." Sam shrugged a little awkwardly.

"Oh come on, how about a yes?" Gabriel hopped over, taking Sam's hands in his and spun him around in place as he dance-hopped around him. "Highlight of the year for us satyrs. And with the god of wine, you KNOW it'll be good." Sam stumbled back as Gabriel released his hands and the minotaur regained his balance.

"Alright, alright, yes," Sam said before Gabriel needed to convince him more and Gabriel grinned.

"Good." Gabriel pointed up to the bright morning sky. "First full moon of spring is in a month. That's when it is." Sam looked up curiously and then looked back to Gabriel.

"I've never met a god before," Sam said quietly.

"Dionysus is a riot. Loves a good time." Gabriel encouraged. "You'll like him." Sam blinked curiously and Gabriel took a few long striding hops back up the rocky hill, his tail whipping about excitedly. "Anyway, let's get some breakfast. I'm hungry." Sam followed in a few strong bounds and Gabriel nodded at Sam with a proud smile. "You're learning quick." Gabriel's conquest with the lovely nymphs was temporarily put on hold.

"Thank you." Sam smiled shyly back. Gabriel didn't mind playing lead stallion too much. Sam really just looked like he needed a companion and for some reason, Sam seemed to have found that in Gabriel. Gabriel never thought of himself as the companion type though. "I don't slow you down?"

"No way, not since you learned to move through the forest." Gabriel smiled. "Sometimes I have no clue how you find me."

"I track you." Sam said simply. "My brother taught me a long time ago how to track someone." Gabriel raised his brows, traveling at a leisure jumping pace towards some trees he hadn't seen for a while for food.

"Tracking, huh?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "I haven't done it for a while, but it's slowly coming back to me. We practiced our hunting skills." Gabriel's hooves slid on a rock as Sam mentioned hunting. He got his footing and Sam gave him a concerned look. Gabriel didn't slip normally.

"Hunting?" Gabriel asked wearily. Sam stood still, twiddling his thumbs awkwardly. "Aren't centaurs herbivores?"

"Centaurs are," Sam murmured. "Minotaurs aren't strictly..." Sam sighed. "Dean and I, we hunger for meat sometimes. A rabbit or some fish would do every once in a while. We weren't popular for it." Gabriel watched Sam for a moment before he continued. His next jump was more stable, like his nerves, but Sam waited where he was, ears lowered and looking to Gabriel for his judgment. Predators weren't exactly Gabriel's favorite animals, but they had their place in the forest of course. But there was nothing larger than the scarce wildcat that preyed on mice or even sometimes weasels. So normally when someone said hunting, they meant humans.

"So, you need a bit of flesh now and then?" Gabriel concluded finally and Sam nodded. Gabriel knew Sam ate flesh of humans in the labyrinth, but being hungry enough would do that to any animal. "Well..." Gabriel shrugged awkwardly, he was completely herbivorous. Though he was a preferred frugivore; a fruit eater. "Nature is as nature does." Sam relaxed a little and Gabriel knitted his fingers behind his back. "Just... warn me or something before you go hunting." No wonder the animals were weary of him. And no wonder he watched animals like a predator.

"Is there anything you don't want me to hunt?" Sam asked, beginning to follow Gabriel again. Gabriel looked at the sky, asking Dionysus for strength.

"Me, for one," Gabriel said.

"I wouldn't." Sam sounded startled and a tad offended at the same time.

"Just want to cover my bases." Gabriel shrugged. "Nor the nymphs and fauns." Gabriel wagged his finger at Sam, a playful smile coming back onto his face. "Fauns are annoying but Pan has favor on them." Sam paused but nodded slowly.

"It wouldn't be anything large." Sam defended lightly. "And I like the fauns. I wouldn't hunt them. Or the nymphs." Gabriel slowly relaxed as they got to the cluster of fruit trees. He looked to Sam, who was giving him another pathetic, questioning look. Damn those pretty green eyes of his.

"Look, I'm not mad at you or anything. Some beasts eat other beasts." Gabriel shrugged. "But I don't and that means I'm one of the beasts that has to steer clear of meat eaters." It was an instinct thing, Gabriel needed to be weary to survive.

"I wouldn't hurt you, really," Sam said. "It's just..."

"Part of your diet," Gabriel concluded when Sam couldn't continue. Sam nodded slowly. "I do get it." Gabriel looked up at one of the pomegranate trees and leapt up, hoisting himself into the lower branches to grab some. "And as long as greens and fruits will still sedate your pallet, I'm not going to worry about you taking a bite out of me." Sam stood under the tree, looking up at him. Gabriel wrapped his legs around the branch and swung down. Sam jumped back a little when their heads nearly collided; which would have been worse for Gabriel because Sam had the forward angled horns while Gabriel's curled back, "Unless you're one of those beasts that suddenly need to quench your thirst for blood." Sam shook his head quickly.

"No, nothing like that," Sam said. Gabriel gazed at Sam another few moments and gave Sam a bright smile.

"Then I think we'll be a fine herd." Gabriel dropped a couple pomegranates that the tree nymph let him take and Sam caught them, blinking at Gabriel with a look of such surprise. But it was one of those looks that wasn't caused by the sudden fruit. Gabriel pulled himself back into the tree. "Get ready to catch some more." Sam smiled brighter than before.

"Ready," Sam said, putting down what Gabriel had already tossed him and readied his hands for more.


	7. Fauns and Their Shrooms

Sam found the pattern of Gabriel's movements through the forest. The satyr liked to go around his territory, tasting the different fruits from each tree so he did not clean one area completely of it's ripe fruit at one time. Sam liked the movement, exploring the area freely. It was liberating, being able to trail away for a time and then return to wherever Gabriel was lounging. He hadn't had that freedom in a long, long time. It took some getting used to, but he felt better being on his own for spurts of time.

Sam was catching more glimpses of the nymphs and the fauns. The fauns were growing more used to his presence and he would watch them for long periods of time, hopping about much like Gabriel on the rocks. They were cute, watching Sam with wide eyes for a moment before they would continue on their own, scavenging for unsuspecting bugs to eat and dropped fruit on the ground. Sam was convinced they'd eat pretty much anything when he saw a nymph yelling at a few of them for chewing on her tree's bark. He'd seen them eating sticks, grass, insects, and the like. They seemed really fond of roots and mushrooms. One had found several patches of mushrooms in a log and three of them had gotten into a tussle over them. If nothing else they were amusing to watch. They reminded Sam a little of newborn foals in the fields, learning to walk on awkward four legs and bounding about aimlessly just for fun.

Sam couldn't remember that age. He remembered his mother told him he'd been much the same, exploring and getting his nose into trouble. Dean had liked to help Sam get into trouble though, Sam knew. Sam sighed, missing those simple days.

Sam heard Gabriel's chuckle behind him and Sam looked around, seeing the satyr standing over his own sitting form. "They're kinda cute, huh?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah." Sam agreed, leaning his arms on his knees. "They're fighting for mushrooms." Gabriel laughed softly.

"They love them. But what they really love is the nuts. You should see them in the fall time. They hoard all the chestnuts. If they had more patience they'd gather a pile and swim in them," Gabriel said. "That's their breeding season. And they never shut up." Sam smiled. It felt good, returning to simple nature where things made sense and beasts weren't thrown at him for nothing more than human sport. Nature was survival of the fittest, but at least there was more of a fighting chance there than in cages.

"It's nice, just watching," Sam said. "I missed it." Gabriel walked closer and sat next to Sam on the ground.

"You do watch all the others lot. I think it unnerves them," Gabriel told him.

"I know..." Sam shrugged a little and looked at Gabriel who looked back at him with a curious gleam in his bronze eyes. Sam looked at his hands, remembering when he only had so much to look at. He felt like much of his survival had been stuck between walls. And when there wasn't pain or discomfort, there was an ungodly amount of boredom. He was in cages when he was smaller, and then a cell when he was older. And when he was served food he'd chew the fish bones to paste and swallow just because days between fights there was nothing to do. Sometimes he'd scrape his horns against the bars or moo and bellow loudly just for the hell of it. Though he'd stop when the humans came by because that usually annoyed them to the point of beating him or splashing him with water. In the Labyrinth it wasn't much better but at least there wasn't anyone with a rod or stick to hit him with when he felt like bellowing. "It's just, so nice to be here, seeing them do what they do. Being stuck in one spot with nothing to do can drive you a bit mad." Gabriel nodded slowly, thinking about it.

"I guess it can." Gabriel smiled and reached up, his fingers catching in Sam's hair. Sam flinched a little, but he didn't jump away for once. Another thing he lacked in those cages; friendly contact. Most contact was pain but sometimes the worse time was having no contact. In his old herd, they would all gather in times of rest, and even if they found him the weak point of the group, they would all huddle for warmth and contact. Comfort and understanding. Sam was slowly re-associating that with Gabriel. "You're hair has got sticks and leaves in it again." Sam scratched his neck shyly, embarrassed with his own lack of grooming. His time trapped in Athens and Knossos made him forget to keep himself neat; partially because he had no one to be clean around and partly because he honestly never felt like it. A feeling of despair when he was in a cage sometimes even made him look forward to a fight. The ponds in the forest had really helped him get back to maintaining himself, but even in his herd they helped each other groom.

"Can you?" Sam asked mildly and to Sam's pleasant surprise, Gabriel smiled nodded.

"Lay your head here and I'll pamper you." Gabriel patted his crossed legs and Sam maneuvered, laying on the ground so his head rested near Gabriel's knee. Gabriel's leg fur was thick, wavy, and very soft. He felt Gabriel's fingers immediately start combing through his long locks. Sam watched the fauns bicker and scrape the ground with their tiny hooves, belting little goat like noises at one another. Two of the more dominant driven ones were butting heads while the third inched towards those tan umbrellas of fungi.

Sam shut his eyes, remembering when Dean would use a sharp knife to hack away Sam's longer hair. All the fine weapons the centaur herd had acquired was pillaged from humans. There was a mixed sense of using them because humans made them, but ultimately, they may as well use the human's own weapons against them, seeing as they were bothering the herd for land the more that humans bred. It was still very customary -Very natural and centaurian- to make one's own proud weapons from the land. Clubs, bows, and spears were all looked upon with approval. Dean had gotten his sword shortly before the field fire; after his first raid on a human hunting camp with the adult centaurs. Dean was very proud of it. Sam remembered watching his brother shine it with strips of cloth and precious olive oil after it had been coated in blood. Dean found the human weapons fascinating all his life and Sam wondered if his brother still charged in with his blade drawn with the first scent of trouble.

Gabriel's fingers glided freely through Sam's hair after a few minutes of Sam's dozing and Sam became aware of the strange patterns that Gabriel was drawing on his scalp and the light tugging of his hair. Sam lifted his head a little, glancing back at Gabriel. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Gabriel replied in his playful tone and Sam realized what Gabriel was doing.

"You're braiding my hair." Sam was sure he should feel annoyed, but he was far too relaxed to bother with moving.

"Your hair begs to be played with." Gabriel informed him and Sam hummed back into Gabriel's thigh, breathing in his pleasant musky scent around the nose ring. Sam enjoyed Gabriel's presence more than he originally thought he would. Gabriel was enthusiastic and obnoxious on his worst days, but never malicious or bitter. Centaurs would argue over patches of grass and even headbutt over it; especially come spring time. Gabriel was altogether a completely different sort of creature and Sam was far more comfortable living the peaceful life than arguing with him for a mate or territory.

Mates were scarce in Crete. The nymphs were pretty, yes. But when they fully emerged from their trees, they looked far too human for Sam's liking. Even though their features betrayed their elements of trees or water, he couldn't fully get comfortable with them. Gabriel was comfortable though. Sometimes late at night, Gabriel would play whimsical tunes that soothed Sam's past into a foggy haze long before sleep would overtake him. Gabriel was very regal at times, laying in an alcove of foliage with only the slight hue of the sun's retreating backside to give Sam Gabriel's silhouette. It was a very romantic scene if Sam had ever seen one.

Sam wouldn't deny he found himself allured to his new herd 'stallion', but pursuing Gabriel or even falling for his compliments left Sam uneasy. For one, Gabriel had all his nymphs in the forest; who Gabriel naturally flirted with. It wasn't far different from the way Gabriel complimented him or teased him lightly with off handed comments. Perhaps it was because he had been around humans too long, but Sam didn't feel very deserving of Gabriel's praise. Sam was undesirable, he was certain of that. They weren't even the same species. Procreation was impossible with Gabriel, so logically, there was no reason to even be thinking of that.

Though Gabriel didn't seem to follow the same line of logistics that Sam did. Some of the contact they had was beyond friendly gestures. It could have been that Gabriel was just very sexual in his nature and Sam should just ignore it. But receiving attention was nice; it made Sam feel better. So as much as he knew he should ignore it, he didn't want to.

Centaurs were creatures of monogamy. Sam wasn't sure if minotaurs were, but he certainly remembered his mother staring off into the distance on long spring nights, waiting for her mate to return to her. Maybe Sam's father traveled and couldn't always make it, or perhaps Michael staved his father's arrival each spring after Sam's birth. Sam wouldn't put it past the stallion. Especially when Michael looked at Sam with the most disgust.

Gabriel had tied Sam's braid into a tail with a few sturdy pieces of grass and Sam was sure Gabriel was very amused by his own devices. Then Sam felt fingertips slide over his neck and shoulder, making Sam's skin tingle. Spring's full moon was just around the corner and small, unspoken touches like those made Sam's head foggy. The knuckles of Gabriel's hand stroked down Sam's collarbone and then his fingers uncurled, sliding back over Sam's neck, giving Sam a quiet rampage of conflicting sensations. He should have been content with the slight intimate touch; but he wanted more.

A loud baying from the three scattering fauns startled Sam enough to sit upright. A badger had barged in to claim the mushrooms as her own and none of the fauns were going to argue with her. Well, one wanted to argue, but the badger was bigger and with one huff out her snout, the faun turned tail and ran off. Gabriel laughed as the badger started eating the fungus, chewing delicately and claiming some of the overturned log as it's temporary lounging spot.

"Well she just came out of no where," Gabriel said and Sam laughed nervously, calming down from his scare. Two of the fauns had darted passed them and peeked out from behind Sam and Gabriel, watching jealously as the badger consumed their delicacy.

"Maybe next time, guys," Sam told them and they sulked off. Gabriel looked up at Sam with a grin and Sam grimaced, realizing his head felt strange with his hair bound in place. "How bad is it?"

"Looks great," Gabriel said and Sam stood, ready for something to eat about then. "I could give you a matching tail."

"No thanks," Sam replied, but he ended up with a matching tail anyway by the end of that day; just for Gabriel's amusement.


	8. Dionysus and The Pirates

The dark sky was dotted with stars and Selene had driven the full spring moon high above the forest. Sam looked out at the rocky terrain, bare of trees which ended Gabriel's territory. Sam leaned against one of the trees on the edge of the forest and looked at Gabriel, who was sitting on a boulder and checking his reed pipes on his flute for any nick that could throw off the tune. Gabriel had replaced a few rods already that week. Apparently flaws in his music was unacceptable when he was going to this party.

"So, what are we looking for?" Sam asked because Gabriel had not made it clear on how they were going to the party if they were standing on the edge of the forest. Sam's hoof scratched the back of his leg, his belly tightening anxiously with the prospect of lots of people.

"Just one of my kin." Gabriel smiled and let his pipes rest on his chest, hanging from his neck. "Nothing flashy unfortunately." Sam looked around, but the moon did not shed any light on any boats on the sea. Then again, they were going to a party for a god, so perhaps they wouldn't be going by boat.

"So, what do we do?" Sam asked, glancing at Gabriel. "I mean, we're going to a god's party. Is there something we should bring or..." Sam wasn't familiar with parties except for some of the spring feasts that his centaur herd would partake in. Fruits, flowers, and roots were gathered in a safe spot and thanks was given to Persephone for returning from the underworld to her mother Demeter -the Harvest Goddess-, who made the warmth come back into the world. They never met either goddess. For a god to come to earth and present themselves to the centaurs was unfathomable. Gabriel didn't seem especially worried; no more than one was to be going to see family, and fussing over his music.

"Nervous?" Gabriel asked with a knowing smile and Sam nodded.

"We're going before a god." Sam murmured. He remembered stories of fools who had offended a god, even unintentionally, and had been killed, or worse. Gabriel laughed quietly.

"Dionysus is a party animal," Gabriel assured him. "All you have to worry about is having fun and not questioning his godliness." Gabriel played a few crisp notes on his flute. "Leave the rest to me." Sam's hoof padded the well churned ground. He didn't like the unknowing bits that Gabriel wouldn't fill him in on.

Out in the darkness, Sam's ears lifted at the shuffle of hooves on dry ground. He looked out, seeing the outline of a satyr. Gabriel grinned and slid from the rock to meet the other. They greeted and Sam followed Gabriel. The other satyr was a bit shorter than Gabriel, with thicker goat horns and a fair more plumper than Gabriel. In the limited moonlight, the only other distinct detail was the silver wreath of vines around his head, neck, and wrists, giving him a mystical quality.

"This is Sam," Gabriel introduced to the other satyr. "He's my guest." The satyr eyed him curiously but nodded with the explanation. The satyr took Gabriel's hand, and then stepped over to take Sam's. The grip was light, but the effect of the touch was spontaneous with the world being pulled from around Sam, being replaced with the brightness of the sun before darkness sank back into Sam's senses and Sam's butt hit the grassy field, being left breathless and twitchy.

"Whoops, forgot to warn you about that." Gabriel took Sam's arm before he'd gotten himself situated and tugged Sam back up to his hooves. Sam's head jerked around, finding the satyr decorated in silver was gone, or maybe had never been. The field was wide with no bush taller than Sam himself. The light of the moon felt closer to the earth and fire light from lanterns on sticks in the ground made the area visible. The air no longer smelled of the sea but the rich scent of foliage and grass. There were several other beings there, most of them were satyrs, but there were also women; nymphs rather, but not the ones tied to trees or the water. Gabriel had mentioned them to Sam before, they were maenads, the human women and nymphs that followed Dionysus. There was lots of laughing. Lots of movement. The scent of fermented grapes wafted in the air and the smoke of a large bonfire that really shed light to the blissful faces surrounding it. Flasks, jars, jugs, pots, and bottles of wine were passed about from hand to hand and there was dancing in a large clearing. There was the constant hum of chatter but there was also drums and flutes playing, giving rhythm to the dancers that skipped and flipped around the flames.

"Wow." Sam couldn't remember such a mingle of people. Gabriel pulled on Sam's arm, gaining Sam's attention back.

"You just want to watch or do you want to join in? Come on." Gabriel trotted off, leaving Sam to follow with an abundance of displacement in Sam's chest. Gabriel picked up a passing flask and greeted some of the others by name before he took a swig. Gabriel gave a grateful laugh as he passed the flask to the nymph next in the circle and she giggled as Gabriel gave a playful bow before he carried on past the fire. "Needed that." Gabriel waved for Sam, who trailed behind the bulk of people. Sam picked up his pace, trying to ignore their laughter as he passed. He felt like a bull among the goat herd.

"Here we are." Gabriel sounded satisfied as they left the brighter light for the lanterns. Sam slowed his pace and stood behind Gabriel, finding the area littered with grape vines that hugged the bushes. The vines created an alcove of space where the light of lanterns was contained. There was several onlookers like the ones at the fire, sharing drink but with less chatter. A satyr was juggling balls and keeping balance on a large rolling ball. The crowd was laughing and rhythmic clapping rang out from the group, especially when the satyr made a great leap and regained his balance. There was one lone man who was sitting on a rock covered in vines in a way that gave him a comfortable throne. Sam was a little entranced by him because he'd seen many humans, and he disliked all of them. But the man watching and laughing joyously at the entertainment did not strike Sam as... well, human. He was youthful, skin smooth in the limited light, with dark hair long enough to brush his shoulders. His dark robes gave hues of purple when they shifted, often when he clapped his hands along with the others.

Sam felt an elbow from Gabriel in his side and Gabriel smiled. "Checking out a god? Good taste." Sam looked again to the man and blinked at Gabriel.

"Is that, Dionysus?" Sam asked. "He's... not what I expected."

"He's much more than your eyes will show you," Gabriel assured and the collective group burst into laughter when the satyr on the ball slipped forward, and he landed hard on his back; several juggling balls falling around him. Dionysus was holding his belly and stifling a strong laughter. Sam was more startled and concerned but the satyr got up a moment later, looking embarrassed and laughing with his own slip.

"Everyone is drunk." Sam muttered in half realization. Even the god was drunk, occasionally drinking from a goblet that seemed to be unending for the length of time that the man put it to his lips.

"Soon enough everyone will be," Gabriel told him and pressed a jug into Sam's hand and briefly Sam wondered where all the drink appeared from. "Come on, drink. You can't be the only sober one here. It's no fun." Sam looked down at the jug. Fermented grapes made his nose wrinkle. He'd witnessed humans drinking, but had never tasted it himself. Gabriel waved his hands, urging him on and Sam fidgeted, but gave in, taking a mouthful and swallowed. It was pungent, sharply tart, and nothing like water. Sam's tongue prickled with the taste and he quickly passed it to the first outreaching hand of the group sharing it. Gabriel chuckled at Sam's sour face.

"It's strange." Sam settled on, because it wasn't the worst thing in the world he'd tasted and it gave him a foreign warmth that slid down his throat.

"The more you drink, the better it is." Gabriel winked and the satyr that had fallen was picking up his juggling balls and kicked the larger one off to the side of the homey area.

"That was amazing, Eryx, thank you for the entertainment." Dionysus' voice cut through the light laughter, rich and dark. The juggling satyr gave a deep bow to Dionysus and was handed a flask from the group to quench his thirst after his bout of acrobatics as he rejoined them. "Who is next?" Gabriel gave Sam a touch on his arm and gave a smile before he walked through the bunch to enter the light.

"Dionysus, it's only my pleasure to entertain you," Gabriel said and Dionysus smiled when the light illuminated the next guest.

"Gabriel, it's always a pleasure." Dionysus greeted and Gabriel gave a deep bow. Sam slowly sat down, being the only one standing and the tallest beast there. He knelt in the grass and watched. He hadn't seen Gabriel practice any sort of tricks in preparation for the party. Was he going to play his pipes? If anything, he thought the music might put the drunken god to sleep; it often had when Sam had sleepless nights. Instead, the pipes hung decoratively around Gabriel's neck as he stood up.

"I was inspired several days ago," Gabriel said with a smile, "to tell the tale of when a young god met a band of pirates." Dionysus chuckled, covering his mouth with his fingers.

"By Zeus' beard, Gabriel, only you could bring up such an old story." Dionysus sounded rather affectionate and Gabriel only smiled.

"It's one of my favorites," Gabriel said, "because of course that young god was our very own Dionysus." Gabriel looked to the crowd. "Even gods are once babes, but once Dionysus reached manhood, he sought to travel the world; to announce his godhood and teach the ways of the vine and wine." Gabriel waved a hand into the air. "But, his first journey to the Island of Naxos from the Isle of Icaria had an ocean between them. What's a young god to do?" Dionysus settled back to listen and sipped from his cup and the chatter quieted to listen to the story. Gabriel held his pipes then a blew a couple of soft notes that sounded like the ocean winds. "By fate, a ship was passing by as Dionysus was thinking of his destination.

"This large ship carried 50, maybe 60 humans. Surely they could take one young god to the nearby land that they were heading towards. Dionysus simply asked for a ride with them, in hopes that that they were charitable and he could reward them once he reached the new land. They immediately agreed and brought him aboard without asking for anything in return. But as soon as they settled him in, the humans told him they weren't going to Naxos but were going to hold him for sale because they were pirates that thought Dionysus was a simple man of a wealthy family." There was a collective gasp from the nymphs and a few of the smaller satyrs. Sam listened curiously. He'd never heard this particular tale before. He hadn't even known Gabriel told stories. Dionysus himself seemed giddy with his own story's telling.

"These humans were not typical city or even farm dwelling humans," Gabriel flourished his tale. "No, no, these are humans that live on Poseidon's sea and pillage other human vessels to make their living. Thieves and hunters of their own kind." The nymphs huddled close to their neighboring satyrs and Sam himself wondered if there really were humans that preyed on other humans. He'd only heard the word 'pirate' on occasion while he was on the ships that took him to Athens and Crete. "Pirates take what they want -valuable and useful- and leave behind corpses of anything that gets in their way. They are friend and loyal to no one, not even their own crew." Gabriel drew back, letting the thoughts of humans devouring anything in their path to eat at the mind of the group and Sam himself fidgeted at the thought of them. He'd never been able to picture humans that were worse than the beast handlers in the arena, but hunters and pirates sounded like something he wanted to avoid all the same.

"Thinking Dionysus was a prize for them to keep, they tried to bind him with ropes." Gabriel continued finally; casually. "And as they finished binding his knots, the ropes splintered before their eyes and fell to the ship deck." Gabriel gave a slight, hidden smile. "No matter which human tried to tie the knots, they fell apart. And what bemused the pirates most was that Lord Dionysus had not lifted a finger. That was strike one." Gabriel held up one finger. "Then they tried to use metal ropes called chains and metal belts called shackles to bind his arms and body. But as the pirates finished their work, the chains would fall off, nary leaving a bruise on Dionysus. That was strike two." Gabriel held up the second finger and Sam's eyes flickered to Dionysus in slight wonder because Sam himself had experienced ropes and chains and they bound him in ways even his strength could not break. Dionysus sat in his grape vine throne with a small, a knowing smile on his face.

"One human with a brain in his skull realized that Dionysus was not a simple human. He had a name, Acoetes, and he was the helmsman; the human that kept the ship on course to their destination. Acoetes proposed to his fellow pirates, that they had better drop Dionysus at the next shore, for surely he was of the gods if no rope or metal could bind a sitting man. But the fool captain of the ship only called Acoetes mad; unable to see the truth only because Dionysus had not chosen to defend himself." Gabriel held up three fingers for the crowd. "The third strike was for the pirates was when they looked upon the great Dionysus and took his passive posture for an invitation to have their way with him.

"As soon as that greedy thought came to their minds, their ship, which was sailing freely in the strong winds, was yanked to a stop, sending all the pirates falling with a mighty quake beneath their feet. The winds were full in the sails but the ship was held fast by grapevines to the sea rocks below. Bushes of grape leaves and bundles of vines grew over the ship with the speed of great snakes. Wine streams leaked upon the deck and the scent of grape flowers surrounded the ship. Lions and bears grew from the shadows and hunted the humans on their own home, devouring them. The humans fought and fled overboard, but when they hit the sea, the humans themselves turned into dolphins; left to find their own way in the vast ocean.

"The only human that was spared was Acoete, who wanted to give Dionysus passage to land again. Dionysus asked Acoete to fulfill the wish to let him off at Naxos so he may start his journey. When Acoete agreed, the vines released the ship from the rocks far below. With all of the pirates who worked the ship gone, the beasts that Dionysus summoned worked to bring the young god to land. When the ship landed, the beasts and vines vanished from whence they came and Dionysus left the man with his blessing. Whether Acoete sailed again was not known, but one could be sure he never forgot to respect a guest. This was the first, but not the last impression that Dionysus had left upon the humans." Gabriel gave a few toots of his pipes and bowed to the audience. There was a long round of clapping as Sam realized many of the satyrs and maenads from the bonfire had moved closer to hear the tale. Sam proudly joined in the clapping, feeling the warmth that Dionysus did not take kindly to rude humans that took innocent creatures captive. Gabriel then turned his elegant bow to Dionysus himself, who was possibly clapping with the most enthusiasm.

"You tell my stories better than Silenus," Dionysus praised and Gabriel smiled as he stood up.

"Thank you my lord." Gabriel lifted a finger. "I know of one more gift that is for you." Dionysus leaned forward, a look of interest coming onto his face. Gabriel walked back over to the crowd and they scooted out of the way for him until he came to Sam. Sam blinked as Gabriel took his hand and was pulled to his hooves to enter the lit center of the alcove.

"Gabriel?" Sam whispered, hoping Gabriel wasn't planning to give him as a gift. Sam had nothing on his person that would please a god. Even Dionysus looked perplexed for a moment and touched his chin as he looked to Gabriel.

"Dionysus, this is Sam, a minotaur that has traveled a long distance from his home and he has acquired a gift of sorts though fighting in human areas." Gabriel boasted and Sam dug his cloven hooves into the earth, shuffling ever so slightly behind Gabriel. But Gabriel was a head shorter than Sam and did not hide his presence very well. "He has a gift for you." Sam felt dizzy as a cold feeling rushed through his body. He had nothing. He only had his body and a tentative place to stay at Gabriel's forest. What was Gabriel thinking?!

"And what gift is this?" Dionysus asked curiously. Sam fidgeted; he had no answer. He had no idea what was going through Gabriel's head. His mind buzzed and looked down at Gabriel because this was his fault after all. All he saw was Gabriel's lifted fingers, pointing to the minotaur behind him, still looking at Dionysus.

"He has to offer, the Nose Ring of a Minotaur," Gabriel said with all the confidence in the world.

The absence of noise hadn't been present in the area until that moment. Dionysus gave Gabriel a strange and a bemused look as he looked to Sam. The chuckle that bubbled from Dionysus was sudden and grew to a loud laughter as the area erupted in noise again. Sam's ears and face burned because it was surely the most ridiculous answer. Giving a nose ring to a god, of all things. The other satyrs started laughing and some were even rolling about, holding their sides from the force of it. The women were giggling and cackling. Sam was sure he was going to be stoned for Gabriel's tall tale.

Dionysus finally wiped tears from his eyes, his laughter dying to a mirthful sigh. "Oh my, such an unexpected gift." Dionysus stood and Sam stood up straighter. Even though Dionysus was also shorter than him, the prospect of being before a god was vastly intimidating.

"There is one obstacle." Gabriel mentioned, stepping to the side and leaving Sam vulnerable to the approaching god. "Removing the ring. Which even the minotaur is unable to do." Dionysus stood before Sam and Sam stared down at the man, his hooves rooted to the spot, having made deep hoof marks with all his nerves. Dionysus looked more amused than anything and he reached up, the smell of grape flowers was very pungent and sweet. Dionysus touched the ring lightly and Sam felt more than saw the ring slide from his nose. It took a moment for Sam to really comprehend that the ring was gone and Dionysus was holding it in his delicate grasp.

"The ring of control from an unruly beast," Dionysus mused and looked to Gabriel fondly. "What a story this would make." The ring itself, which Sam never really could see too well unless the water in a lake was very still, was brass. It was tarnished and nicked with scratches from all the things that it had tied Sam to over the years. It was something Sam would never dream of giving as a gift. But before Sam's eyes, the ring seemed to peel the dark marks and shined itself to a polished glow. It then stretched thin and curled around Dionysus' wrist. One of the ends bent itself into the silhouette of a bull's head and horns. It mimicked the vines the god surrounded himself by very well. Dionysus then turned his smile on Sam, who found himself touching his own nose, unfamiliar with the lightness of his face. Sam dropped his hand, nervously looking at the dark eyed man. "You please me with your gift, Sam. Go, enjoy the dancing and drink." Sam swallowed dryly.

"T-thank you, sir," Sam murmured, unable to get his voice above a whisper.

Dionysus returned gracefully to his seat and Gabriel tugged on Sam's hand to bow as Dionysus sat and they left so the next guest could amuse the god.

Sam found his breath once they were in the dark again and he gasped, his heart racing.

"Oh, gods..." he murmured and looked to Gabriel. "You're insane." Gabriel chuckled.

"I did get your ring off for you," Gabriel told him. "I told you I would."

"By tricking a drunk god," Sam said, finding his voice again after breathing, "What if you'd offended him?" Gabriel waved it off.

"Dionysus is not easy to offend if you know him. He is most certainly drunk and enjoys a good laugh and a good story in his stupor." Gabriel smiled. "Imagine Dionysus going to Mount Olympus and brandishing the ring he took from a wild minotaur. What other god can say that?" Sam laughed, more out of nerves than humor. He might have sounded a little crazy for it, but he felt a little crazy as well.

"You're going to get me killed," Sam said.

"I'm going to get you drunk," Gabriel corrected and walked over to a bundle of vines that formed from one of the bushes. The vines had various containers nestled in the foliage and two to five vines were in each vessel. It looked like an oddly decorated tree from afar. Gabriel took one of the pots and a vine slid out of the ceramic, which had been filling the jug to the brim with rich red wine. Sam watched as the vine sought itself company in another container; moving like a sluggish snake. Gabriel pressed the jug into Sam's hand and Sam took a drink because he felt he needed to after that near-death excitement. "That's the spirit!" Gabriel took the pot when Sam lowered it and drank with gusto.

Sam felt light headed from being face to face with a god and he blinked his eyes to clear his vision as Gabriel ushered him over to the fire where there was dancing. Several young maenads were dancing in a circle to the drums and pipes of the band near by. The women moved as one, spreading their arms high and shaking their hips provocatively, as though possessed by lust. It was raw and primal, certainly not something Sam had ever witnessed before. The band was not in one place but the whole group seemed to take part; one instrument picking up for another's absence. Gabriel picked up his flute and added his song to the mix, sitting at the edge of the crowd as the flames licked the dancers and threw their shadows wildly onto the gathered crowd. Sam sat and watched, mystified by the erotic dance and occasionally glancing at Gabriel's low beat with the drums and shakers. There were periods of time that Sam zoned in on the way Gabriel's mouth moved fluidly across the pipes.

The pot Gabriel had set down had disappeared into the crowd, but there were plenty more being passed around. Eventually another passed Sam's hands. Sam took a mouth full of every vessel that passed until he lost count, because that seemed to be the customary transaction. He often saw several drunken satyrs drinking to the last drop and then stumble back to the vines for a full vessel. The creatures with no instruments clapped or sang words to the rhythm. Some of the words were chopped and jostled so much with drunken slurs but it really didn't seem to matter as long as it sounded good. It was music that thrummed through his bones; impossible to ignore.

Suddenly the music stopped as the women broke away, strangely running into the dark with several satyrs following in their wake. Gabriel pulled away from his flute and chuckled. "Ah, the foolish young ones always follow them into the dark." Gabriel quenched his thirst from the jug Sam offered him and passed it to a near by maenad who was in the lap of a very happy looking satyr. "Poetic really." Sam had been studying the faces in the passing light and he could see small differences in the satyrs. The length of their horns, the thickness of their fur and even their mass gave clues to their ages and identities. Gabriel's horns were up there with some of the longest goat horns so Sam guessed Gabriel did not dub himself as a young foolish satyr.

Clapping started at the other end of the fire and it traveled around the crowd as satyrs started standing and darting up to the fire, quickly filling in the places where the women had been. There was a whooping from all around, some even sounded close to a goat's bleat. The maenads chortled and gave sounds of encouragement as a jumping dance started. Gabriel hopped to his hooves as well and joined the other satyrs. Sam chuckled, hearing the drums and clapping pick up to a fast trot; it looked a lot like when Gabriel got into the rhythm of hopping small rocks on Crete. Sam felt a bit giddy, enjoying the sound and movement. He'd never felt the effects of wine before, but it was certainly leaving him with a good feeling. His hoof tapped along with the beat and he joined in with the clapping, the air buzzing with excitement.

A few minutes into the dance Gabriel came back, took Sam's hands, and yanked him up to leading him over to the fire. Sam might have resisted if he was sober, but he was too entranced with the music and Gabriel encouraged him with waves and words to follow his lead. It was confusing at first and Sam's limbs didn't want to learn complicated movements at the time, but soon he was following the dance like all the others.

And Sam found he enjoyed himself.


	9. Stars and The Moon

Sam collapsed on his back after what felt like hours of dance, music, and wine. The field was dark and quiet from the continuing crowd several yards off and he let out a long but satisfied sigh. "I can't take another step."

Gabriel chuckled. having half a jug of wine with him as they left the crowd for the darkness. "You danced for a long time for your first party. Good stamina." Gabriel knelt down next to Sam, who stared blearily up at the many stars. He knew there were several constellations that he'd learned from calf-hood but they made no connections that he could remember at the intoxicated moment. Sam took a long breath through his nose and stretched his arms up over his head in the grass. It made him dizzy, being able to breath so freely.

"I had so much air. I could breathe." Sam let his head fall to the side, seeing Gabriel was enjoying another drawl from the jug, using his arm to prop up the jug and drinking like a pro. "I can't even find the hole where the ring was." Sam had checked many times throughout the evening, thinking there would be a large hole between his bovine nostrils, but there was no evidence that it had ever been.

"How kind of him," Gabriel crooned, setting the clay jug in the grass. "Taking the ring and healing the flesh." Sam absently smoothed the fur of Gabriel's thigh near his knee. It was fluffier than his own fine leg fur; as well as lighter in color.

"I didn't know you told stories." Sam said, thinking back to the woven words of pirates and vines trying to drag a ship into the ocean. "They're so good."

"I don't really tell them in the forest." Gabriel looked over at him, swaying slightly in the light breeze. "The nymphs and fauns can't muster up the focus to listen." Sam scooted himself closer, resting his cheek on the soft leg and breathing in like he'd never been able to do before with the ring. Gabriel was musky with the scent of earth and just the pure scent that was Gabriel that he'd come accustomed to in faint traces. He smelled good; really good.

"I like stories," Sam murmured, feeling the void of tales with all his time spent in cages and a prison. "I want to hear your stories." Sam felt a hand in his hair, pulling lightly as fingers combed his tresses.

"I have many life times of stories," Gabriel said fondly. "I'll tell you any that you want to hear." Sam hummed, pleased with the prospect. But in his haze he could not think of one.

"I like that," Sam said and Gabriel chuckled.

"I wish you could see yourself." Gabriel brushed Sam's hair over his twitchy ear. "I've never seen you so content. Or drunk."

"Never been drunk," Sam told him and lightly nuzzled his nose and cheek against Gabriel's fur. It was so soft and welcoming. "Never been so happy before. I can't remember much beyond the anger. And the pain. The fighting and the blood." Sam closed his eyes. "Sometimes I remember my brother, but sometimes I think I've forgotten it all. Like it was all a dream." Gabriel was quiet and Sam look a deep breath of Gabriel's leg. It was so surreal, the absence of metal hindering his breath. "You smell really good. Really, really good." Gabriel laughed softly.

"Glad you came?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes," Sam agreed, enjoying the fingertips gently raking over his scalp, smoothly trailing around his horns and ears. "I had fun." The dark was refreshing on his senses, the smell and feel of cool grass eased some of the fullness from his head and he looked up again, tilting his head in Gabriel's lap. He did notice one constellation his mother pointed out long ago, Taurus, the bull in the sky. "Minotaur." Sam murmured softly.

"Hm?" Gabriel leaned over him and Sam focused fully on Gabriel's handsome face, which held a hue of amusement in the low light of the moon. Sam reached up and touched the wispy chin beard on Gabriel's face; just because he wanted to feel the coarseness of it. Sam couldn't remember such an affectionate look from anyone since his mother and brother. Not even they held a look that Gabriel did.

"Tell me of the first minotaur," Sam decided. He'd never heard of his own race besides that they were ugly by human standards and strong by centaur standards. He'd never met his father. Sam's father wasn't allowed to stay in the herd, nor did his father want to. His mother was just taken with him and bore his children in the spring time. "I don't know much, but you said they were from the sea."

"A blessing from Poseidon," Gabriel said wistfully and Sam watched his mouth moved, fascinated with the shapes it took and the hint of teeth that appeared every now and then. "The first minotaur's tale began several hundred years ago, when a King called Minos evoked favor from Poseidon to win a war over his enemies in Athens. He was the King of Crete you see, so it's a very well known tale if you listen hard enough at home. Poseidon agreed to give Minos favor in the form of a pure white bull and told Minos that he needed to sacrifice the bull after his campaign on Athens. The bull rose from the white sea foam and was a calm, gentle creature. The king became very fond of the bull, finding it beautiful and he chose to keep it as a trophy; for his status as king. So after his war was won, he took one of his best bulls in place of the white bull and sacrificed it back to the sea in hopes that it could appease the god. But Poseidon knew it was not his bull that Minos had sacrificed and that enraged him. Poseidon asked favor of Aphrodite to make the King's wife, Pasiphae, fall in love with the bull; since the king loved the bull so much himself. Pasiphae became so enamored with the creature that she had an architect, by the name of Daedalus, make a wooden and leather cow so that she may climb inside and make love to her beloved bull. King Minos did not know of their coupling until the fruit of their union was born with the body of a man and the head of a bull.

"The child was born and given the name Asterion. The king was so embarrassed by his wife's child that he hid him away for the world to never see. Asterion grew up restless. He did not take to their human ways, he fought against them, wanting to roam the land on his own terms. As he grew, he became violent and angry. He became bigger and stronger than any man or bull. He broke out several times and took his anger out on people and the kingdom. He took the food that he wanted, killed anyone who angered him, and lusted after any female he wished. It is said that most of his human offspring didn't survive, but the cows he bred suckled their children with no malice and they gave birth to the wild minotaurs of today. It is said that they all left Crete to be free." Gabriel pet Sam's soft, flat nose with a finger and Sam blinked up at Gabriel, enraptured by his words. "They must have survived or else you'd not be here.

"King Minos could not have Asterion destroying his kingdom. So when Asterion was still young and started escaping his grasp, King Minos hired Daedalus to build the Labyrinth in Knossos so that no one would escape it." Sam felt a cold shiver. He'd wondered many time when he'd been a prisoner in that wretched place; why so many things were strangely fit to his nature. Why there was so many hoof scrapes in the rock long before he'd been there and why so many divots were minotaur shaped for sleeping. Why there were horn scrapes in the roof before his joined the markings.

"When the Labyrinth was done, the next time Asterion was captured, he was not brought back to the palace but to the Labyrinth where he spent the rest of his years screaming and taking his rage out on Crete. Some say that the sea protested his imprisonment by crashing harder in those years and the earth shook when he charged under the ground.

"Back when Minos won the war he could demand anything from Athens. And when Asterion was imprisoned, Minos demanded children of Athens be brought to entertain Minos. The king liked hearing them scream in the Labyrinth as they tried to escape Asterion; who had gone mad in the maze." Sam's mind hovered in his darkest place, being alone and hearing footsteps in the dark of the Labyrinth. He remembered smelling fear and being scared himself. He remembered the hunger that clawed at him and he knew that the humans would kill him too given the chance. He remembered getting hit with rocks and branches that they'd brought in with them.

"He was hungry," Sam murmured in a half daze. "Surviving in the dark." Gabriel nodded slowly in agreement.

"Maybe." Gabriel brushed his fingers over Sam's forehead and it felt good when Gabriel rubbed his temples. "Imagine my surprise when you washed up on my shore from the same fabled place." Gabriel paused and Sam felt there was more.

"Did he escape?" Sam whispered, half hopeful.

"No." Gabriel shook his head. "One man entered with a proper sword and took off his head." Gabriel drew an imaginary line over his own neck. "Took Asterion's head back to Athens and really pissed off Minos by taking his daughter too." Gabriel smiled. "A woman who became Dionysus' wife, I might add." Sam was quiet, his eyes trailing the curves of Gabriel's face. His mind drifted back to the cracked wall and Gabriel's words of Asterion making the whole island shake. Did he owe his escape to Asterion for weakening the wall? He could only imagine the minotaur's strength to try to escape when the wall was fresh. But maybe the crack had started because of Asterion and the time had helped wear it away. It made some sort of sense to Sam's diluted mind.

"He was tired," Sam mused. "He must have been tired of fighting." Sam remembered nearly losing that fight in himself several times, but some primal part of him never fully gave in or he struck the final blow too fast to let his own weakness show. Though being there now -with Gabriel and wine in the open sky- felt worth the struggle.

"Might have been," Gabriel agreed. "That sounds easier to swallow than just being bested by a human." Sam's hand lifted and his knuckles touched Gabriel's cheek. Gabriel chuckled and gently caught Sam's hand in his. "My, you're an affectionate drunk."

"It feels good," Sam murmured, gazing up at Gabriel's eyes, which twinkled in comparison to the stars behind him. "Being free. Feeling free. Feeling everything." Gabriel kissed Sam's large hand and Sam felt a shiver. It was a nice shiver, a tingle on his skin.

"I can make you feel good, Sam," Gabriel whispered like a promise. "I can make you feel alive." Sam curled his arm around Gabriel's shoulder as Gabriel leaned down, placing a kiss on Sam's mouth that made Sam feel the heat of pleasure that surged through him; as powerful as the sea. When Gabriel pulled back from the first kiss, Sam's arm curled tighter, urging Gabriel for another. It satisfied that void in Sam that ached for touch; for love.

"I want that," Sam murmured against his lips. He wanted to feel alive and wanted. No other creature made him feel good about being alive. "I want you." Gabriel's lips smiled against Sam's and he slowly pet Sam's hair as he drew him into deeper kisses, stealing his regained breath away as they became closer.

Sam's whole being began to ache physically for more and was not satisfied until they both sank into each other in passions that Sam had only heard about in tales of gods. Though Sam was sure no one would believe the story of the pleasure he experienced that night. The tale of Gabriel taking him so high that he couldn't breathe without moaning. They flew so high that Sam could touch the moon and Gabriel held him fast, letting Sam know that he wouldn't let him go if he reached just a little higher. And when they fell so did all of Sam's senses; only being able to hang on to Gabriel as the air rushed by and the ground came up fast. The crash landing, the sudden end, left Sam wrecked but feeling a delirious insanity of wanting to fly, and fall, again.

And again.

And again.


	10. The Sun Burns

Sam's head was throbbing and his body itself protested his awareness back to the world. He felt a warm weight on his back and lifted his swimming head. Opening his eyes to the morning light was a bad, -bad, bad- idea. Sam groaned into the grass and his stomach had a swill of nausea.

"Oh gods..." He groaned hoarsely and found his mouth parched. The person laying on him hummed, awakened by his movement and a quick glance confirmed it was Gabriel.

"Uhg, Helios could have kept the sun away for a few hours more," Gabriel complained in a sigh and Sam felt better that he wasn't the only one feeling hit by a chariot. Sam rolled over, back to the sun and Gabriel grumbled as he thudded on the grass. Shying away from the sun did not cure Sam's pounding head though. Gabriel dragged himself up, fumbled around and Sam heard the sloshing of liquid in a jug. Sam didn't feel like getting blinded to see what Gabriel had. He heard Gabriel's hooves drag in the grass as he walked around Sam and set down the jug, which Sam saw in his shadow was the same one from last night.

"Drink up," Gabriel advised. "At least till we get home and can drown ourselves in the lake." Sam dragged himself into a sitting position and winced as his legs protested movement. Sam's stomach protested more wine but Sam gulped it down, hoping it would really help. Gabriel shielded his eyes from the light with his pan flute and Sam looked out into the field, seeing many couplings of satyrs and maenads, and a few with more than two or three in a group. Some were still sleeping, but many were waking and getting to their shaky legs.

Sam rubbed his temples. "My head..."

"Yeah, we did some heavy drinking," Gabriel agreed and his butt hit the grass next to Sam. "Ah. Our transportation should be along eventually. A dip in the lake always helps with a hangover." Sam pulled his one leg closer and rested his head upon his knee. "Ah, there he is." Sam glanced up and a few groups ahead of them faded out of existence, leaving only the satyr decorated in silver there before he trotted over to the next group. He took the coupled maenad and Satyr's hands and they disappeared as Sam blinked at them. In the light he could see the lines in his face and the grey in his hair and fur gave tell tale to his older age.

"Who is he?" Sam asked.

"He's Silenus, Dionysus' mentor. He knows which satyrs are fit for Dionysus' parties and it keeps him from wandering off drunk." Silenus meandered over to them at a slow gaunt. He looked as though he too had a hangover, eyes half closed and his movements fluid in that partly drunk way. "Crete forest," Gabriel told him as he came closer. Selinus took Gabriel's and Sam's hands and a whirling moment later, Sam's stomach twisted, threatening to rebel as he landed. They sat in the dry dirt of Crete and Sam groaned, feeling the wine sour in his stomach and bile in this throat. Gabriel pushed himself to his hooves and leaned over him, "You okay?" Sam shook his head and he rolled over, ending up emptying what ever liquid was in his stomach.

Sam groaned, feeling his head pounding again. "Noooh..." He felt a hand brush through his hair and over his back.

"The lake is only a few paces away." Gabriel took Sam's arm and guided him to his hooves.

"I never want to see a jug of wine again," Sam murmured, holding his head with a hand and letting Gabriel pull him along.

"That's what we all say after our first party," Gabriel assured him with a knowing smile.

At the lake, Sam dipped his head at the water's edge and it was a blast of relief from the smell of bile and drinking it down helped mellow his stomach. He came up for air and saw Gabriel was already wading into the water. Sam slid in after him, the cold chill was a refreshing distraction from his body's discomfort. Sam resurfaced for air, feeling clearer headed and finding Gabriel lounging against the rocks. Sam swam closer to Gabriel, resting against a boulder that was submerged under the surface.

Sam's mind lingered on the wine, dancing, and music for only a moment or two before it drifted to the time they'd had alone, rolling around in the grass, hands roaming Sam's body like he'd never felt before. There were moments of clear memory, feeling a swell of pleasure, and others were hazy, only tastes of feeling.

"Are parties always like that?" Sam asked, resting his arms on the flat rock, body floating weightlessly behind him.

"More or less." Gabriel smiled, lounging in the shallower water in a patch of rocks that supported his shape effortlessly. Most likely Gabriel himself had a ritual after such a long party. "Recovery time is about as long each time."

"It sucks..." Sam's mouth dipped below the water, feeling his head start to throb again.

"Worth it." Gabriel dipped his head back, head leaning into a small pool behind him.

Sam dunked himself under the water and rose back up, more refreshed. He sighed, looking at Gabriel. He was hungry, but with his belly still knotted, he could go a while before leaving the water.

"So." Sam looked at Gabriel, who hummed in acknowledgment. "We... That was sex?" A smiled spread on Gabriel's content face, eyes closed.

"That was sex," Gabriel confirmed. "Did you enjoy yourself?" Sam nodded.

"Yeah..." Sam couldn't quite remember every detail, but the rush of sensations was enough to know that he'd liked it.

"You know, it's not just for parties," Gabriel hinted. Sam pursed his lips. It did sound nice to do it when he wasn't drunk, and not hung over... But Sam remembered Gabriel's spontaneous bouts with the nymphs in his forest. Sex had been nice, but Sam couldn't feel right if he was just one of Gabriel's conquests.

"It was nice," Sam agreed. "But I don't think we should make it a regular thing." Gabriel sat up straighter in the water, looking confused; as though no one had ever turned down his offer before.

"What? Why? Didn't you like it?" Gabriel asked.

"I did, I really did," Sam confirmed, eyes drifting down to the water. "But... You have your nymphs to keep you occupied."

"They're not 'my' nymphs," Gabriel said, "They're the nymphs of the forest." He pushed himself out of his comfortable spot and floated closer to Sam. "It's fun, why not enjoy it?"

"I'm sorry," Sam said, guilt settling in; because Gabriel was the only one who had ever made him feel that good. He should have been grateful that anyone found him attractive enough to have sex with him. But being one of Gabriel's consorts did not appeal to him. He looked up at Gabriel, who gave him a mix of concern and confusion. Sam gave him a shy smile. "I still like your stories."

A soft smile finally found itself back onto Gabriel's mouth. "I still want to tell them to you." Sam smiled back. He did have the urge to close the space between them, to feel Gabriel's warm lips on his again, but he drew back, having already stated his decision.

"I want this headache to go away first," Sam said and Gabriel chuckled.

"Agreed. We can lounge here today." Gabriel said, treading water after Sam. One moment later, Sam's head was splashed with water. Sam spun in his spot and splashed water back at the chuckling satyr.


	11. Blessed to Be Selfish

Gabriel laid out on a hill of grass, looking up at the sinking sun. It wasn't quite to the horizon yet, but it was slowly getting there. It had been several weeks since Dionysus's party. And Sam was off somewhere, doing his own thing. The minotaur wasn't as attached to his hip as he once was and it was bothering Gabriel.

"Is it me?" Gabriel asked. "I mean, I pulled out all the stops on party night."

"I don't see why," The tree nymph said from beside him. Her tree was only a few feet away and she was curled up next to him, her fingers trailing down his chest. "You're very talented. It's his loss."

Gabriel hummed, not agreeing. He knew Sam had enjoyed their night together. And he hadn't exactly given up trying to pursue Sam. Gabriel had tried sneaking in touches; brushing of skin on skin could be sensuous. Sam didn't tell him off for it, but he didn't encourage Gabriel either by returning the touch. Gabriel had told Sam stories and brought him fruit; even flowers as an obvious flirtation. Sam shied away from the flowers and contact, and Gabriel wondered what he was doing wrong. Gabriel was even distracted from the lovely nymphs fawning over him.

"Don't worry about him," The nymph said, stroking his cheek with a finger. "You've got me to distract you." He glanced at her; her smooth bark skin and grassy green hair. She was a good distraction normally, but Sam drawing away from him was more of a concern. Gabriel sat up and the nymph drew back.

"And you're lovely, I've just got a lot on my mind." He pushed himself up and she harrumphed slightly before sliding back into the trunk, molding again with her tree.

Gabriel trotted along, looking around for Sam. Recently Sam had been hanging around by the small gulf of the sea so Gabriel started there. As predicted, Sam was looking out at the water. The spot was breezy and several yards up from the water that lapped at the wall. There was a fallen log near by that Sam sat upon. Sam looked Gabriel's way when Gabriel approached.

"Hey." Gabriel smiled and his tail whipped out of the way for him to sit next to the minotaur. "Looking out for Poseidon?" Sam smiled lightly.

"No, not really." Sam leaned his elbows on his knees. His own tail had regrown it's hair nicely, making up for it's ragged appearance when he'd come out of the sea. "Just watching the boats," Sam admitted and Gabriel looked out, seeing a ship heading out from Cydonia, another port city. Gabriel glanced at Sam and Sam shuffled his hooves in the dirt. "If I got on one... would it take me back to the mainland? I'm not sure if I could find my brother, my herd." Gabriel frowned.

"Here I thought I was your stallion and your herd." It bothered Gabriel more than he wanted to think. But he liked Sam. Sam was interesting and did like his stories. Gabriel was privy to Sam's life story; being taken from his herd, made to fight for his life, then thrown in the ancient labyrinth when the humans couldn't control him any more.

"You are now." Sam said in a soft voice, looking at his hands. "It still makes me wonder though. I mean, did they try to get me back? Did they think it was a loss or a blessing?" Sam closed his eyes. "Did my brother carry on without me? I don't want him to think that I'm dead." Gabriel slid closer, hip to hip with Sam and he curled his hand around Sam's slack one, squeezing it. Sam looked at him, green eyes slightly watery and Gabriel gave him a smile. Sam was so preoccupied with his past that no wonder he couldn't see any sort of future. He was a creature that couldn't see his own power.

"You're a blessing from the sea. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise," Gabriel said. "Not even yourself." Sam gave him a small smile.

"Maybe," he said and Gabriel leaned into Sam, enough to nearly topple Sam backwards and get his attention.

"No meek 'Maybe'," Gabriel said firmly, "A blessing isn't something so mundane and shrug-able." Gabriel turned and straddled the log, looking at Sam, who watched him back with a befuddled look. "You're a spice to this dull island and you're a blessing that I've only had the pleasure of enjoying once physically; and half I can't remember so vividly." Sam looked away. Gabriel eyed Sam a moment. "You obviously don't agree."

"I'm not that special," Sam said, defending his flaws. "I've never been particularly good at anything. All I've done is survive."

"You SURVIVED fighting creatures and humans, and that's not a tale many can pass on," Gabriel said firmly, "Ones that don't survive are DEAD. That's how the whole survival of the fittest thing works." Sam looked uncomfortable and Gabriel sighed, tired of the silent game. "Did you not like the sex?"

"What?" Sam was surprised.

"You've been drawing away, as though I did something you didn't like." Gabriel informed him. "If you honestly don't like it, tell me and I'll stop pushing my affection on you."

"No, it's nothing like that," Sam said quickly. "It was... it was perfect, really. It was nothing like I've ever felt before." Sam struggled with his own words and he looked scared, though whether the fear was placed in himself or Gabriel wasn't so clear. "I liked it too much, I think."

"You can't like it too much," Gabriel protested.

Sam rubbed his hooves together nervously in the dirt. "But..."

"So there IS a but."

"... I'm selfish. I thought, if I had you again, I wouldn't want to share you with the nymphs," Sam got out awkwardly, looking like the kid that had eaten all the delicious flowers in the field. Gabriel stared at him, making sure Sam was serious, and it was clear that he was.

"You want a mate," Gabriel concluded and Sam's head ducked, as though ashamed of it.

"You have so many nymphs, I couldn't ask you to be just with me," Sam murmured.

Gabriel heaved a great sigh and actually did push Sam off the log, making the minotaur flail before he hit the dirt with a thud on his back. Gabriel crawled over him, seeing Sam's slight pained, hurt, and mostly confused expression.

"Sam, you're allowed to be selfish. And you should ask my opinion before you decide what I want with you." Gabriel leaned down, face to face. "Who said I wouldn't want you as a mate?" Sam paused, but slowly got the gist that Gabriel wanted an actual answer.

"No one," Sam said finally and his lost hands wandered to Gabriel's arms.

"I would love to have you as a mate," Gabriel continued, though softer and less agitated. "No nymph catches my attention like you."

"I can't bare your kids," Sam muttered in weak argument and Gabriel chuckled.

"And I can't bare your calves, so we don't have to worry about that. If you think this is my first spring, you're sadly mistaken," Gabriel told him. "But if you're in it for enjoying the company and exploring the intimacy we had at the party, I'm in." Sam blinked at him with those brilliant green eyes and slowly smiled up at Gabriel.

"I want you to be my mate," Sam said plainly and Gabriel smiled back.

"See, you should have asked that weeks ago." Gabriel touched their lips close, but pulled back before they could really sink into it. "Do you know how much time I have to make up for?" Sam grinned and pushed himself up, their mouths meshing together in a solid kiss.

"Sorry, I let my thoughts get in the way of everything." Sam didn't seem too down on himself about it, it almost seemed playful.

"You're complicated. I like that." Gabriel pressed his body against Sam's. "Makes everything more interesting."


	12. Hello Stranger

A full year and a half passed. The humans mainly minded their own business. Sam and Gabriel had plenty of terrain to avoid them. Giving into Gabriel's playful teasing made life more pleasurable if nothing else. Sam's mind eased instead of harboring guilt about wanting his mate. Sam was still concerned with Gabriel's flirting, but Gabriel was loyal and never smelled like a nymph since they decided to be mates.

The spring was warm and Sam sunned himself on cloudless days. He basked in the knowledge that he hadn't felt the warmth of it in years. Once mated with a satyr, Sam grew to know how sexual Gabriel could really be. Sam also found how sexual he himself was once allowed to love and be loved. Gabriel was not the only one teasing. Sam was all too happy to distract Gabriel from his flute practice. Sam also shyly asked the nymphs for advice since they'd known Gabriel for so long, which helped his nerves since he was not as experienced as other creatures his age.

Summer dulled their lust driven senses. It wasn't altogether bad for Sam or Gabriel, but instead of rolling over for another round, they might roll over to snuggle, kiss, or groom the other. Those were the lazy days; enjoying the fuller fruits of the season and seeking shade in the humid air. Much of their time was consumed by the ponds and streams.

Fall was cooler and Gabriel had been right, the fauns made all kinds of noise. Baying over each others clusters of chestnuts. Thieves made off with food and fights broke out over them. The females were picky about who they mated with and bided their time for the males to sort out their hordes, which they stood by, baying at the females to come look at their stash. Gabriel and Sam watched a pair of brothers duking it out throughout the season, butting horns and then teaming up when thieves came by to steal from either of them. They ended up with females so it got a bit boring after that. There could only be so much interest held when there was humping fauns everywhere they went.

The winter was mild and when snow built up on the ground Gabriel and Sam would dig out a burrow of dirt and snow. They huddled together and Gabriel would pass the time by telling Sam the gods' stories and about how nice it would be when Persephone returned to her mother; how life would be brought back to the land. Even though there was a shortage on fruit, Sam did not experience hunger again like he did in the labyrinth. The fauns weren't the only ones who forged before winter. There were still many edible plants to eat, even when the snow clung to the earth. Gabriel had, very loudly, began to complain about the damn snow and being tired of roots by the nearing of spring, when his patience for fruit was fraying. Sam felt he was spoiled from the chill of winter by having his mate's warmth near by. Not to mention some of the fauns also gathered around their body heat, which made for a comfy den.

They survived to spring, finding the refreshed earth was well worth the wait of winter

But everything changed by that summer. Sam and Gabriel had hunkered down in a private alcove of foliage and tree roots that had become their favorite. It was already accustomed to their slumbering forms and on the warm night like that one, the earth surrounding them kept them cool. Sam awoke, his ears twitching. Gabriel's soft snoring was beside him; Sam had grown used to it over the year. Sam blinked his eyes open, the area was only lit outside by the moon and at first Sam wasn't sure of what had awoken him. Gabriel's snores rarely bothered him enough to wake him, and Gabriel looked comfortable, sprawled out on his back next to Sam.

Then Sam heard it again, the rhythmic trotting down an uneven path. Sam's ears lifted, eyes growing wide. Sam held his breath for a sharp moment before he nudged Gabriel with enough strength to wake him. Gabriel grumbled but before he asked what was going on, his ears also picked up the sound. They weren't the only ones up either. The tree nymphs were whispering over him with the wind. Several of the fauns that liked sleeping near them for body heat were up, blinking wide eyes and their ears propped up all in one direction.

"A horse?" Sam whispered.

"One way to find out." Gabriel dragged himself from their den and used a low hanging branch to lift himself up silently into a tree. A nymph helped Gabriel by pointing out the direction and whispering into his ear. Sam soon followed, using soft steps that he'd learned in the forest. In the tense moment, one of the fauns sneezed, making Sam's chest leap and Gabriel nearly slipped out of the tree as all the other fauns scattered. Sam hissed out a breath through his teeth, nervous because they didn't have humans come in the dead of the night. There were no wild horses there. The only horses that saw Crete were brought by humans. There were no lights to lead a human's feet; humans often felt safer with fire, Sam had always observed. The weary steps of hooves sounded eerily familiar; the tromping step he'd first known when he'd not known how to walk in the forest. Sam looked up again, seeing Gabriel had slipped from the tree and the trotting had stopped.

Sam eased himself past the trees, towards the direction the nymph had pointed and he saw shadows. He poised behind a thick tree that would hide his mass and waited in case there was trouble.

"Well." Gabriel's crisp voice was the only clear one. "Aren't you a bizarre one." Sam looked around and he took in the sight of, surprisingly, a centaur. In the limited light of blacks and blues, Sam could make out a sleek horse body, short hair, and flat chest. The horse body was light in color, bright blue in the moon light; and there was moving... clothes on his back? Wings? Those were wings. Sam had never seen such a thing before.

"Are you the forest guardian?" The stranger had a deep voice, one that did not quite match his sleek structure. Most centaurs had some bulk to them, for running and labor, but with the wings, that might have been a disadvantage. They were massive, longer than the length of the horse body when folded.

"I am. And you are?" Gabriel stood cautious.

"I am Castiel," The stranger responded. "I've traveled many miles and wish to rest and eat here." Gabriel paused.

"Call me Gabriel." Gabriel eyed him and the centaur did the strangest thing; he bowed. One hoof curled for the body to dip and the torso also followed through with a modest grace. Even the wings flared downward with his movement. Centaurs did not bow to other creatures. They were a strong breed, establishing themselves above everyone but the gods. Sam wondered briefly if this beast was human broken from a young age.

"I'm only armed for my protection," Castiel said and Sam spied the bow and quiver on his back. "May I ask what island this is?"

"Crete," Gabriel answered, seeming a bit more at ease since the stranger seemed so open, but that did not mean Gabriel was off his guard. "What business do you have here?"

"I have been searching for someone," Castiel said. Sam noted Castiel's movements were amazingly still after he stood. All the centaurs Sam had known were always moving, much like Gabriel. Shuffling hooves or swinging tail. But this one seemed to have a trained discipline. "We heard rumor that a minotaur was on one of the islands and I'm scouting for him." Sam perked, confused.

"We who?" Gabriel asked, suspicious again.

"My herd," Castiel answered. "They are on the main land awaiting for my mission to be finished. Have you heard of any sightings of a minotaur?"

"What do you want with a minotaur?" Gabriel asked.

"It is a long ongoing search. From what I've heard, he's been gone many years," Castiel said and Sam's heart was pounding long before the next words. "His name is Sam and his brother Dean is looking for him."

* * *

THE END?

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Notes on Minotaurs:

Minotaurs are literally described as "part man and part bull" by poet Ovid. This can mean just about any combination from the known man-with-the-head-of-a-bull minotaur to pictures of centaur-like minotaur with bodies of a bull instead of horses. I took artistic license with this, especially with Sam, who I could not stop seeing with an adorable cow nose.

Notes on Satyrs:

The first satyrs were said to be old men with horse tails and the "newer" satyrs looked more like fauns in Roman Mythology. So in this universe, satyrs have horse tails to resonate all of those tales.

Notes on Dionysus:

I know in the Disney films 'Hercules' and 'Fantasia' Dionysus was portrayed as a squat, round, old man. But in the mythology I read, he was the youngest god to join Mount Olympus and he was rather beautiful and youthful. And some of the stories I read were really insightful (and some a little disturbing).

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I hope you guys made it to the end and enjoyed your journey. :)


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